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[Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Educational Needs
Taiwan Church News 2664, March 23, 2003
Reported by Lin Yi-ying. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

   Last week a delegation from the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) went to Taitung County, on
Taiwan's Pacific Coast, to meet with local government officials
regarding educational needs in the area.  The Rev. Lim
Chong-cheng, who led the group, discussed the possibility of the
church's establishing a technical college or comprehensive high
school with County Vice-magistrate Liu Chhao-ho.
   Rev. Lim said, "There is a privately operated high school in
the county currently negotiating an arrangement with the General
Assembly. We hope to arrive at an arrangement and relationship in
the near future."
   He added, "Taitung County has many aboriginal young people.
Higher education is often available only far from their
hometowns.  Every year each student needs at least 100,000 Taiwan
Yuan (2,700 Euros) for tuition and living expenses when going
away to study.	This expense puts many families into financial
straits.  One of the prime reasons for the high cost is that
Taitung County is not home to a technical college or a
comprehensive high school.  The General Assembly acts in the
spirit of the PCT's long term concern for the weak sectors of
this nation's society.	The Assembly hopes that it can uplift
education, and thereby the economic prospects, of the young
people in Taitung County.
   "The history of our church's beginnings 138 years ago included
medical and educational outreach to Taiwan's people." He
continued. "It could be said to be the foundation of democracy
here.  Now the PCT has two universities and three high schools
established in north and south Taiwan, but not yet any
educational work in the east.  We hope that a move east can be
beneficial to people, and can be carried out in the spirit of our
historical mandate."
   In the future, the General Assembly hopes that many church
related agencies can establish branches in Taitung.  This would
include care centers for the elderly, the senior citizens'
university, and neighborhood colleges. These all would be
considered educational avenues for the gospel of Jesus Christ in
the region. They would give the people of Taitung greater
opportunities to come into contact with and understand what
Christianity is about.
   The estimated startup costs for a new school are 200,000,000
Taiwan Yuan (5.4 million Euros). Rev. Lim expressed a hope that
all church members might join in the future discussions and
prayer regarding campus location, facility design, and faculty
and student recruitment.

For more inX-Mozilla-Status: 0009heng  leonard@mail.pct.org.tw

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