News source:Ministry of Education Global Information Network>

Since launching the "Interdisciplinary Aesthetic Education Excellence Leading Project" in 2014, the Ministry of Education has been actively promoting the discussion and practice of social issues through art and aesthetic education. The aim is to help students understand the value of gender equality through learning and critical thinking. Aesthetic education not only cultivates students' creative abilities but also enables them to understand the importance of gender equality and respect for diversity in the process of learning and expression, and to reflect on stereotypes and injustices that exist in daily life.

Among them, "gender equality" is one of the core themes. By emphasizing gender equality, the curriculum, performances, and community activities are put into practice in schools across Taiwan, allowing the concept of gender equality to take root in the hearts of children. The curriculum combines art, situational activities, and creation, enabling students to learn to respect each other's differences, be more courageous in expressing themselves, and understand the value of gender equality and inclusion.

Against this backdrop, Hsin-Shang Elementary School in Kaohsiung City launched the "Diverse Understanding and Self-Exploration" series of courses as a concrete practice in response to gender issues. The course begins with creative and discussion sessions, guiding students to recognize the unique characteristics of each individual and practicing kindness and respect through situational dialogues. In the subsequent "Imagined Me" unit, students view related works, discuss character stories, and combine their personal photos with their creations to design their ideal character appearance and future scenarios. Finally, through the role-playing activity "Playing with Life," students practice perspective-taking in new settings, cultivating empathy, understanding the different situations others may face, and learning to offer support and respect.

In addition, the "Puppet Show" course at Yuejin Elementary School in Tainan City starts with real events and takes the "Gender Differences" gender report in the newspaper "Annie News," published under the Ministry of Education's Aesthetic Education Project, as a starting point to guide students in discussing gender stereotypes. For example, why are "pink" and "blue" labeled? How do these labels shape our imagination of girls and boys? Through reading the feature article, students gradually understand the impact of "gender labels." At the same time, they transform their reflections into artistic creations, making puppets, designing puppet heads, and writing scripts by hand. When the puppets take to the stage, they speak for the students' questions about colors, clothing, and gender, as well as their confusion about labels and stereotypes. Through the vivid presentation of the puppets, these ideas are transformed into tangible sounds and images, and students also practice expressing and understanding the perspectives of others in the creative process.

The Ministry of Education stated that promoting gender equality education is not merely about transmitting classroom knowledge, but also about shaping diverse cultural values. Students learn respect and listening skills, as well as how to empathize and develop perspective-taking abilities. In the future, the Ministry hopes more schools will deepen gender equality awareness through arts and aesthetic education, allowing every student to grow in a diverse, open, and respectful environment and interact with others with an inclusive and friendly attitude. For more exciting courses, please visit the Interdisciplinary Aesthetic Education Project website (https://www.inarts.world/).