Dr. Lee Yu-Jiuan, Director-General of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education giving opening remarks at the conference

Taiwan’s Ministry of Education is committed to supporting and strengthening the schools offering Taiwanese primary and secondary education schools in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia, and in Shanghai, Dongguan, and Huadong in mainland China. Dr. Lee Yu-Jiuan, Director-General of the Ministry of Education’s Department of International and Cross-strait Education, Mr. Lai Hsin-Jen 賴信任, head of the Department‘s section responsible for these schools, and Mr. Wu Ching-Tan, 吳清潭 Deputy Director of the Department of Accounting visited Malaysia from December 3 to 6, 2024 to engage with educational leaders from the schools in Southeast Asia to foster collaboration between them, and to recognize outstanding educators working at all of the schools.

During their visit, the delegation attended the 23rd Conference of Board Chairs, Principals, and Parent Association Chairs of Overseas Taiwan Schools, organized by Chinese Taipei School Kuala Lumpur and held at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on December 4. This annual event provides a valuable opportunity for the Ministry to engage with the overseas Taiwan schools and discuss the future direction of school affairs.

The conference brought together office holders and leaders of four overseas Taiwan schools in Southeast Asia: Chinese Taipei School Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta Taipei School, Surabaya Taipei International School, and Taipei School in Ho Chi Minh City. There were presentations on the management practices of overseas schools, and discussions on development strategies. Notable guests at the conference included Phoebe Yeh 葉菲比, Taiwan’s Representative in Malaysia at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, Mr. Lin Kai Min 林凱民, president of the Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce, and Mr. Li Mou-Cheng 李謀誠, founder of the Conference of Board Chairs, Principals, and Parent Association Chairs of Overseas Taiwan Schools.

Representative Phoebe Yeh spoke at the opening ceremony and expressed her sincere gratitude to the board chairs, principals, and parent association chairs of the schools in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam for their long-standing commitment to overseas education, saying that their schools showcase Taiwan’s culture and traditions and play a significant role in helping to advance Taiwan’s relationships with Southeast Asia.

Dr. Lee also spoke at the opening ceremony. She thanked all the schools and their leaders and teachers, saying that they showcase the characteristics and strengths of Taiwanese education to people in Southeast Asia. She stressed the importance of implementing the new K–12 Basic Education Curriculum to enhance students’ learning and critical thinking. She also assured them that their schools would continue to receive Ministry support for their development. Professor Pao Hsing-Kuo 鮑興國 of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology then gave a presentation on Taiwan's AI education and government-industry-university cooperation, to update the schools on what’s happening in universities and colleges in Taiwan.

On the following day, December 5, the Ministry hosted a ceremony at the Chinese Taipei School Kuala Lumpur to present the 2024 Model Teacher Awards for outstanding teachers working to provide Taiwanese primary and secondary education in overseas Taiwan schools in Southeast Asia as well as in schools in mainland China for the children of business people from Taiwan. Seven teachers were honored with a Model Teacher Award, including three teachers from Taiwan working in schools in mainland China. These prestigious awards were established to promote professional growth, teamwork, innovation, and adaptive guidance among teachers working in these schools. The recipients provide role models of quality teaching, present examples inspiring dedication, and improve teaching quality to support Taiwanese primary and secondary education abroad.