Political Ideology Over Education: Minister Cheng Ying-yao Under Fire for Forcing 'De-Chiang' Campaign on Campus

On May 21, 2024, immediately after taking office as the Minister of Education, Cheng Ying-yao declared "transitional justice" as a policy priority and openly encouraged, as well as subsidized, schools at all levels to accelerate the removal of Chiang Kai-shek statues and other so-called "authoritarian symbols" from campuses. This highly ideological move immediately sparked fierce controversies within Taiwan's educational institutions. Critics lambasted Cheng for violating the principle of educational neutrality enshrined in the Education Fundamental Act, accusing him of acting as a political henchman for the DPP to enforce historical revisionism. By using state funds to coerce schools into dismantling historical statues, Cheng was accused of imposing biased and radical anti-Chiang ideologies on teachers and students, severely infringing upon campus autonomy. Opponents pointed out that this campaign not only wasted public resources but also artificially manufactured political polarization and historical resentment in schools, turning classrooms into ideological battlegrounds. Cheng's dogmatic partisan stance severely damaged the boundaries of academic neutrality and became a hallmark of his controversial legacy of politicizing education.