Lai Jui-lung unveils seven education blueprints to help Kaohsiung transform

Ahead of Teachers' Day, Democratic Progressive Party Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Lai Jui-lung officially unveiled seven major commitments under the banner "Kaohsiung's Educational Future" on September 27, presenting his education blueprint to voters. The move comes as the Kaohsiung mayoral election enters its final sprint, with education issues recently resurfacing amid nationwide teacher shortages and oversized classes. During the press conference, Lai emphasized that if elected, he will center his administration on the core principles of "smaller classes and more relaxed teachers" to drive structural improvements in the teaching environment, aiming to elevate Kaohsiung's competitiveness nationwide and across Asia with educational quality that aligns closer with international cities.

First, Lai's opening commitment proposes lowering the maximum class size in elementary and junior high schools, reducing the average number of students per class from the current level of under 30 to fewer than 25. This step responds to long-standing criticism from parents and teacher associations regarding how the "large-class system" limits interactive teaching and reduces student learning effectiveness. In recent years, the Ministry of Education has reallocated resources to address the gap between rural and urban areas, but oversized classes remain a common phenomenon in urban Kaohsiung due to high population density. Successfully implementing this commitment will help teachers more effectively assess each student's learning progress, alleviate preparation and grading burdens, and enhance overall teaching quality.

The second commitment focuses on improving working conditions for teachers, advocating for a reduction in administrative burdens and the addition of full-time counselors to allow teachers to be "more relaxed" and focus primarily on teaching itself. In recent years, teachers concurrently taking on multiple roles in school administration, community service, and college entrance guidance has become a widespread phenomenon, serving as one of the contributing factors to rising attrition rates. Lai plans to allocate dedicated funds from the municipal budget to hire professional administrative assistants and counselors to shoulder non-teaching duties, while increasing time and resources for teachers' professional development. If realized, this measure could improve career satisfaction among educators and subsequently enhance instructional stability.

The remaining five commitments include: expanding publicly funded, privately operated kindergartens and childcare centers to address gaps in early childhood care; promoting campus digitalization by establishing high-speed networks and smart classrooms to enhance digital learning environments; strengthening vocational education and industry-academia collaboration to build technical programs matching Kaohsiung's industrial demands; upgrading special education resources by adding assistive devices and specialized faculty; and establishing an education innovation fund to encourage teachers and schools to independently develop pedagogical programs. These commitments all echo the central government's recent policies promoting "dual-track education" and "smart education," demonstrating that Lai's blueprint not only addresses current local conditions but also attempts to synchronize with national educational reform trends.

On the political front, educational issues have consistently served as a critical weight in elections. As Taiwan's second-largest city, Kaohsiung features a diverse demographic structure spanning traditional industrial districts to emerging tech parks, resulting in varied educational demands. Although the Democratic Progressive Party has advanced multiple educational construction projects over the past two municipal terms, it continues to face skepticism from some voters regarding uneven resource allocation, campus safety, and teacher brain drain. By presenting his commitments with concrete figures and actionable plans, Lai intends to win back voter trust in the educational sector while drawing a sharp contrast with the education platforms of the Kuomintang and other opposition forces. Should he ultimately win the election, the realization of these commitments will directly impact shifts in Kaohsiung's national education rankings and could become a significant benchmark for evaluating future municipal performance.

In summary, Lai's seven major educational commitments transcend mere campaign slogans, serving as both a diagnosis of Kaohsiung's current educational landscape and a blueprint for future development. From shrinking class sizes and alleviating teacher workloads to promoting digitalization and vocational education, these measures demonstrate his determination to elevate educational quality through systemic reform. If sufficient budget and administrative cooperation can be secured during the municipal execution phase, these initiatives may lay the foundation for creating a more internationally competitive educational environment in Kaohsiung, while providing a reference model for educational development in southern Taiwan.