Union demands air conditioning during English examination

By Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

Air conditioning should be provided throughout the administration of the high school Test of English Listening Comprehension, the National Federation of Teachers’ Unions said.

Results of the test, which is administered biannually in October and December, are used by some universities as part of initial screening during the admissions process, with roughly 10 percent of institutions having a cut-off grade below which they will not admit a student.

Federation president Chang Hsu-cheng (張旭政) said the test is exceptional in not mandating that rooms have air conditioning, unlike examinations such as the General English Proficiency Test and the Test of English for International Communication.

“Currently, in a single administration site, some classrooms have air conditioning, some only have ceiling fans, while some have nothing at all,” Chang said.

“If there is noise outside the room, it will directly influence students,” he added.

Because the October test date fell within the “autumn tiger” period, with temperatures possibly reaching 30oC, some test sites keep their windows open to let a breeze in, exposing students to outside noise, he said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) said the College Entrance Examination Center is responsible for arranging appropriate test conditions.

Electricity costs are no excuse to deny air conditioning, Fai said, adding that the center earns a net profit of NT$34 million (US$1.04 million) annually from test fees.

Center deputy director Shen Ching-sung (沈青嵩) said there is not sufficient time to arrange for air conditioning at every location this year because assessing more than 3,000 testing facilities would take at least two months.

Tests can be retaken if outside interference influences results, Shen said.