Education

Slow exposure to the joy of thinking and talking about something a student has read can become addictive. And the dopamine hits from a teacher or classmates are not all about praise. The biggest hits come from being understood. That is why Englist’s tagline works so well — Writing is thinking.

The team collected spare and discarded parts from other international teams and assembled a replacement robot in time to pass inspection. The makeshift robot lacked much of the original machine’s scoring ability, so the students changed tactics. Rather than focusing on offense, the team shifted to defense, analyzing opponents’ movement and protecting space for alliance partners while avoiding penalties. The approach helped the team win four consecutive qualification matches.

Education officials said disagreements between parents, teachers and students are common on campuses, but if handled poorly in the early stages, they can quickly move into complicated legal investigation procedures. That can consume school resources and deepen conflict, the bureau said. The planned mechanism would emphasize “communication first,” encouraging schools to bring in outside professionals in psychology, counseling, law and education when needed to help resolve disputes early.

The Education Bureau said it is drafting guidelines to help schools decide when to activate the communication mechanism before formally accepting a case. Outside professionals are expected to be brought in to assist schools, including representatives from principal associations, teacher groups, parent groups, counseling and guidance specialists, and legal professionals.

Mayor Chen said the city would expand contracted counseling institutions, provide funding for stress-management and emotional-support courses in schools, and use the employee assistance program to connect teachers with medical and mental-health resources. He also said the KH Education Bureau had been asked to identify problems reported by frontline educators and bring in cross-departmental resources, including psychologists, social workers, and medical institutions.

Neimen Wild Forest Animal School (內門野森動物學校) has drawn more than 120,000 visitors since beginning trial operations in January, prompting Kaohsiung city councilors to call for expanded parking and stronger shuttle services as the site grows into a new attraction in the eastern part of the city.