Taiwan News Quick Take

Taiwanese competitors won three gold, three silver and seven bronze medals at the WorldSkills Shanghai in China last week, the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) said on Sunday. Taiwan also won 30 Medallions for Excellence, awarded to competitors who rack up a high number of points in an event, but fall short of winning a gold, silver or bronze medal, it said. In the Information and Communication Technology competition, Lu Zhi-kuan (呂治寬) took gold in the Software Applications Development category, while the team of Chiu Yu-hsiang (邱昱翔) and Yang Yong-xu (楊詠旭) won the gold medal for Cyber Security, the WDA said. The third gold medal was won by Yang Yu-chun (楊宇鈞) for Floristry in the Creative Arts and Fashion competition, it said. Taiwan took silver for Cabinetmaking in the Construction and Building Technology competition, Mechatronics in the Manufacturing and Engineering Technology segment, and Beauty Therapy in the Social and Personal Services contest. The seven bronze medals were won by Taiwanese contenders in the Social and Personal Services, Hairdressing, Bakery, Patisserie and Confectionery categories.

Photo: CNA

EDUCATION

Lai supports educators

President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked Teachers’ Day by highlighting a government program to invest NT$11.755 billion (US$369.9 million) by 2029 to improve educators’ digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills. In a Facebook post, Lai said teachers play an irreplaceable role in guiding students through learning and personal growth, while acknowledging the pressures they face from teacher shortages, parent-teacher communication, student counseling and administrative workloads. The Ministry of Education has launched the “AI Talent Ark Program” to build teaching capabilities and AI-enabled learning environments in elementary and secondary schools, he wrote. A ministry report released in May said the “AI Talent Ark Program” aims to enrich digital teaching materials, develop next-generation AI learning systems, provide hands-on AI training and support for teachers, and improve education data analytics to help educators deliver more personalized instruction. While technology can make teaching more efficient, teachers’ understanding of and guidance to students are irreplaceable, he said. The government will continue to listen to educators, improve teaching conditions and ensure teachers receive the respect and support they deserve so they can focus on teaching, he said.

TOURISM

Tourist dies after accident

A tourist from Myanmar was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday after being found unconscious in a shallow-water wave pool at a popular water park in Taichung, but no cause of death had yet been determined. The Taichung Fire Bureau received a report at about 2:02pm that the 52-year-old, who was visiting Lihpao Land in Houli (后里), appeared to have no vital signs when he was found unconscious, local media reported yesterday. Firefighters found the man without any apparent external injuries and in a state of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He was given emergency treatment at the scene before being taken to the Dajia branch of Lee’s General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts. Police yesterday said they would refer the case to prosecutors for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Local media said the man had been visiting the water park with his wife after renting a car. He was found lying face down in the wave pool of the park’s Mala Bay attraction. The park operator expressed its condolences yesterday over the man’s death, and said the cause of the incident was still under investigation. It declined to provide further details, citing the privacy of the visitor and his family.