Date: 2019/07/28
Data Source: Youth Development Administration
Case Officer: Lulu Chen
Tele/Mobile:(02)77365175
E-mail:luluchen@mail.yda.gov.tw
Contact: Chia-Ting Huang, Section Chief
Tele/Mobile:(02) 77365172/ 0919209046
Students also have the right to participate in the planning of learning spaces on campus. The Youth Development Administration of the Ministry of Education organized a training program aiming at introducing deliberative democracy to student associations this year as a special effort to provide more opportunities and channels for students to participate in school affairs. The program themed “Public Space Improvement in Dormitories” and “Learning Space Improvement” enabled students, the major users of learning facilities, to lead deliberations. Through this program, students’ proposals and planning for learning spaces were able to be implemented.
The program in northern Taiwan was held from July 27th to 28th with the focus on deliberative democracy, the organization of deliberative meetings, and issues related to learning spaces and dormitories to spark students’ imaginations for spaces. Mentors, then, guided students through deliberations to formulate concrete and feasible proposals for improving public spaces in dormitories and learning spaces.
According to Chen, a participant, dormitories in her school were old. The school was planning to build new dormitories this year. After participating in the program, she started to ponder on the possibility to recommend the school to revamp the existing dormitories and spaces by building more public facilities and lounges to better meet the needs of students.
This program provided opportunities for students to participate in campus planning to create spaces better catering to students through democratic mechanisms. In addition, teams completing the program are able to submit deliberated proposals for improving dormitories or learning spaces for their respective schools to the Youth Development Administration between August 1st and September 6th and participate in a competition. Winners will have the chance to be awarded up to NTD 50,000. Mentors from the industry will provide guidance and join discussions. Schools will also have opportunities to apply to the Ministry of Education for interest subsidies to refurbish their dormitories in line with guidelines published by the ministry. School affairs will again involve student autonomy and democracy.
More information on the program is available on the website of the Youth Development Agency of the Mini