Taiwan Ministry of Education Invests Nearly NT$200 Million in Indigenous Cultural Learning Spaces

Taiwan's Ministry of Education is entering the sixth year of its "Indigenous Cultural Learning Spaces Program," having allocated nearly NT$200 million to 110 schools. The initiative focuses on creating environments where students can learn about and connect with indigenous cultures.

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The plan transforms traditional campus design, turning campuses into learning spaces that combine cultural inheritance and teaching functions. It not only improves the campus environment but also allows students to understand the spirit of ethnic culture through hands-on practice and continue tribal traditional wisdom.

Projects include the "Traditional House 2.0" at Zhuhu Elementary School in Taitung County, which involves repairing and correcting the orientation of traditional houses to achieve cultural "repositioning." This hands-on approach integrates traditional building methods, cultural knowledge, and curriculum, fostering a deeper understanding and identity among students.

Other schools are also transforming their campuses into cultural hubs. Taoyuan Elementary School in Kaohsiung has rebuilt its Bunum cultural space using traditional materials like logs and bamboo, incorporating language, science, and art classes. Elders are invited to teach about historical events and traditional practices like trap making and the "Malahtangia" chant. Qingye Elementary School in Pingtung County has developed Rukai indigenous experimental education, creating a base with traditional houses and assembly areas. Students learn stone-building techniques and integrate mountain knowledge into their studies, emphasizing the importance of cultural transmission.

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The repair site became a cross-generational co-learning classroom, with tribal elders leading teachers and students in jointly learning traditional techniques such as thatch binding and structural repair, allowing architectural techniques on the verge of extinction to continue and deepening students' understanding of cultural heritage preservation and tribal identity.

Officials emphasize that the program transforms school grounds into spaces for cultural heritage and teaching. Through immersive learning, students grasp the spirit of indigenous cultures and continue tribal traditions. The ministry plans to continue supporting these initiatives, ensuring campuses serve as vital centers for indigenous cultural transmission, rooting knowledge, land memory, and wisdom in future generations.

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We will continue to promote the Indigenous Cultural Learning Spaces Program. Through the joint participation of tribal elders, craft masters, and local communities, campuses will become important bases for inheriting indigenous culture, allowing cultural knowledge, land memory, and ethnic wisdom to continue to take root in the next generation.