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By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA
The Ministry of Education is this year offering 36,000 “Lifelong Learning Vouchers,” with entries closing today ahead of tomorrow’s draw.
The vouchers offer NT$1,500 in discounts for community college and senior learning university courses across more than 30 university programs, including online at the National Open University, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, 18,000 vouchers are available for returning students to claim a NT$1,000 discount at institutions they have previously enrolled in, it said.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
All Taiwanese citizens aged six or older and who have a national identity card number are eligible to enter, once they register for membership and complete identity verification on the “Lifelong Learning Voucher System,” the ministry said.
Winners would be notified by SMS tomorrow after the ballot has been drawn, it added.
The ministry said that it is offering three times the number of vouchers issued last year, when the initiative was first introduced.
Separately, there would be a lottery for 20,000 cultural passes to gain free access to six cultural venues and five educational institutions, the ministry said, adding that this year’s initiative would include access to the National Railway Museum.
Inclusive learning systems with lower barriers to participation are crucial as Taiwan faces an aging population, a low birthrate and industrial transformation, Deputy Minister of Education Liu Kuo-wei (劉國偉) said.
Traditional once-off education is no longer enough to support an individual’s career development, he said, adding that society needs to offer subsidies, personalized guidance and flexible support systems to help people access further education.
Learning is not necessarily about obtaining a degree, but the desire to learn, he added.
The ministry would continue to encourage schools to extend learning from the classroom to museums and social education institutions to promote engaging and meaningful courses, he added.
The Lifelong Learning Education platform can be found at lle.moe.edu.tw.
