In response to declining birth rates, the ongoing need to supplement teachers in certain subject areas, and the demand for diverse professional educators in schools, the Ministry of Education has completed amendments to the Regulations Governing Subsidies and Placement Services for Government-Funded Teacher Education Students (師資培育公費助學金及分發服務辦法). The amended regulations were officially promulgated on July 21, 2026, and are set to take effect on July 31, 2026. Built upon the existing framework, this round of amendments comprehensively reviews the mechanisms for cultivating, placing, and servicing government-funded teacher candidates. Through balanced adjustments to rights and obligations, the revisions aim to strengthen training effectiveness and ensure a stable supply of teaching personnel.

The Ministry notes that the government-funded teacher training system has long served the critical mission of supplementing teaching staff and promoting equal educational opportunity. To enhance the system's attractiveness, the Ministry raised the living stipend and professional development allowance for government-funded students effective August 1, 2025, increasing each student's annual benefits by NT$72,400. After the adjustment, each government-funded student receives approximately NT$200,000 per year, reflecting the nation's commitment to and investment in teacher preparation.

However, practical experience in recent years has revealed room for improvement in areas such as teacher demand assessment, study and training requirements, cultivation support, and the design of rights and obligations. This round of amendments targets key structural elements to enhance the system's completeness, reasonableness, and feasibility. The major revisions are outlined below:

I. New Central Reserve Training Mechanism — No More Waiting for Schools

In coordination with overall teacher workforce planning, the amendments introduce a centrally administered reserve quota allocation method for government-funded training. Following promulgation, the Ministry will identify subject areas requiring priority replenishment — such as natural sciences and technology-related fields at the secondary level in recent years — and pre-train government-funded students centrally. Upon completion of training, these students will be coordinated with local governments for placement, enabling timely alignment with school-level needs and improving the precision and policy effectiveness of teacher deployment.

II. A Second Chance at the Teacher Qualification Examination for Hard-to-Train Government-Funded Students

Taking into account the academic journey and completion rates of government-funded students, the amendments specify eligible candidates, grounds, and time limits for deferred placement, and add provisions for cases where a student has not passed the Teacher Qualification Examination, providing necessary flexibility within the system's principles. For indigenous government-funded students and students admitted through guaranteed placement from outlying island regions, the amendments explicitly allow deferred placement periods to be calculated separately, strengthening institutional support.

III. Diverse Language Proficiency Now Recognized for Government-Funded Students

In line with the National Languages Development Act and the spirit of the Curriculum Guidelines for 12-Year Basic Education, the amendments expand the scope of recognized language proficiency beyond the original English requirement to include other foreign languages and local/indigenous languages.

IV. Adjusted Repayment and Accountability Provisions to Achieve a Balance of Rights and Obligations

To align with the purposes of government-funded training and to safeguard the staffing stability of placement schools, the amendments recalibrate the basis for calculating repayment obligations. A differentiated design based on the student's actual service record is adopted:

1. If a government-funded student fails to serve continuously for at least three years after placement, or relinquishes government-funded status before placement due to passing an independent teacher recruitment examination, or fails to report for duty after being notified of placement, the student shall repay 1.5 times the total amount of government funding received — reinforcing the obligation to fulfill the service commitment.

2. If a government-funded student has served continuously for more than three years after placement but has not completed the full agreed service term, the repayment shall be calculated proportionally by deducting the ratio of months served against the period of funding received, in consideration of the balance between the years of funding and the repayment obligation.

This design balances institutional rigor with the principle of proportionality, guiding students to honor their service commitments while avoiding excessive rigidity and enhancing the system's reasonableness and predictability.

V. Removal of Restrictions on Advanced Study During the Obligatory Service Period

The amendments delete the previous restriction prohibiting government-funded students from applying for degree programs during official working hours while serving their obligatory period. Management now reverts to the existing teacher professional development framework, allowing government-funded teachers to plan advanced study in accordance with their school's regulations, provided teaching duties are not affected — improving the system's reasonableness and attractiveness.

The Ministry emphasizes that this round of amendments is not merely a procedural adjustment but a foundational effort, centered on the principle of "balanced rights and obligations," to establish a more flexible, supportive, and equitable government-funded teacher training mechanism. The amended provisions will apply retroactively on a most-favorable basis to government-funded students still under contract, and will also apply to newly admitted government-funded students beginning in Academic Year 2026. Going forward, the Ministry will continue to conduct rolling reviews and collaborate with local governments and teacher education universities to jointly build a stable, professional, and forward-looking teacher workforce system.