Kaohsiung mayoral candidate proposes doubling bilingual education budget to NT$1 billion; opponent calls it insufficient

Lai Jui-lung, a candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, unveiled a "2030 Bilingual City: The World in Kaohsiung" initiative on August 7. The plan includes seven actions and a commitment to "double the budget," gradually increasing annual spending on bilingual education from the current NT$479 million to NT$1 billion. The goal is to equip Kaohsiung's children for global opportunities and address educational disparities based on family background or location.

Lai emphasized that under Mayor Chen Chi-mai's leadership, bilingual education has a solid foundation. The next phase will focus on greater teacher support and integrating AI and AR technologies to build smart learning platforms. He pledged to double the budget to NT$1 billion annually.

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Bilingual education is not about slogans or increasing the budget to achieve success!

However, KMT candidate Ke Chih-en criticized the proposal, arguing that bilingual education requires long-term commitment, not just election-year attention. She questioned if Lai's plan offered new ideas or merely repackaged existing city policies. Ke asserted that success hinges on more than just slogans and increased funding, stressing the importance of teacher support, educational equity, AI application, and cultivating students' core competencies to enhance international competitiveness.

Ke's campaign team added that she has 26 years of experience in education and previously proposed an "International Navigation" policy four years ago. This plan aimed to establish an overseas value-added platform offering scholarships and overseas study opportunities for Kaohsiung youth. This year, she further detailed policies for immersive bilingual teaching and AI education.

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The budget needs to be doubled.