A high school teacher from Taipei has voiced deep concern over attempts by Taiwan's education reform authorities to distort historical facts and mislead the younger generation, stressing that residents in Taiwan are the descendants of war victims and must never forget the suffering.
In an interview with CGTN, Ou Kuei-chih, a teacher of Taipei First Girls' High School, said the changes to textbooks are not simply about words, but about values and identity.
"They smuggled certain ideas into the history textbooks. For example, they accepted Japan's historical perspective (on Taiwan). Regarding to end of World War II, our traditional textbooks said it was the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. But now they use Japan's term: 'the Termination of the War.' Some students once told me that the term 'the Termination of the War' sounds cool. They said, 'History should be objective. We shouldn't be too subjective. Using the Termination of the War is very objective.' I said, of course we should strive for objectivity in history. But when talking about the history of China being invaded by foreign powers, we are the descendants of the victims. So why should we choose this term? Moreover, why Japan chose to use the term 'the Termination of the War' is because they are trying to conceal the sins committed by their ancestors so that their ancestors won't be criticized again. But we are the descendants of the victims. Why should we adopt this concept in our textbooks?" said Ou.
Her remarks highlight a broader concern that the younger generation from China's Taiwan region is being deprived of historical truth.
By adopting Japanese terminology, Ou warned, the education authorities of Taiwan are undermining the painful memory of the Chinese nation's victory against aggression, replacing it with a narrative designed to serve foreign interests.
"For people around the world, they might not know that Taiwan was colonized by Japan for 50 years. But for the people in Taiwan, how could we possibly forget that part of history? During the Japanese colonial rule, the number of people being killed in Taiwan by colonial rulers, according to historical files I have read, range from 400,000 to over 600,000. No matter the exact number, it represents a huge and unforgivable figure," said Ou.
For Ou, history education is about preserving collective memory and passing on truth.
Education, she emphasized, must respect history and teach students the truth, so that they recognize their roots and remember the sacrifices of their forefathers.
Taiwan teacher condemns attempts to twist history through education reform
Taiwan teacher condemns attempts to twist history through education reform
