Legislator Points Out Hengchun Junior High Baseball Team's Crowded, Old Rental Housing; Education Department Promises Assistance

(Central News Agency, reporter Huang Yu-ching, Pingtung County, July 2) Pingtung County Legislator Lu Wen-hsin stated today that the Hengchun Junior High School baseball team has no dormitory, and its 23 players are living in old, crowded rental houses off-campus, where the iron bars on the balconies also block escape routes. The Education Department stated that it will assist in finding suitable accommodation and will work on building dormitories in the medium to long term.

Kuomintang-affiliated Pingtung County Legislator Lu Wen-hsin said during the county council's general interpellation today that the Hengchun Junior High School baseball team has performed brilliantly in recent years, bringing honor to the national baseball scene. However, upon returning to Hengchun, they don't even have a decent place to sleep. Currently, 23 players are crammed into old rental houses. Not only is the tin-roofed top floor stuffy and the old wiring overloaded, but there are also three floors crammed into narrow compartments, with iron bars on the balconies blocking escape routes, making it a dangerous building.

Lu Wen-hsin said that other key sports schools in Pingtung, such as Hecheng Junior High and Ligang Junior High, have dormitories, but the children at Hengchun Junior High have to endure "refugee-like" living conditions. In the 115th academic year, the team size will increase to 42 players, and new students are urgently needed. However, the Hengchun rental market is already saturated, and the team is desperate for housing, with landlords even demanding rent increases. When will the Education Department implement plans to revitalize on-campus space and build dormitories?

Chen Kuo-hsiang, Director of the Pingtung County Government Education Department, replied that Hengchun Junior High School's enrollment rate this year has exceeded 90%, an increase compared to the past. As a short-term measure, they will assist in finding suitable off-campus accommodation. In the medium to long term, they hope the school will submit its project proposal as soon as possible, and they will fully strive to secure funding for dormitory construction.

According to the Hengchun Junior High School Student Dormitory Construction Project Proposal, the Hengchun Junior High School baseball team has been established for over 11 years and has nurtured many outstanding players. Due to its location in the southernmost part of the country, most students come from remote areas and indigenous villages, thus having a high demand for accommodation. Currently, there are 37 students in the team, with 23 requiring accommodation. However, some students from Chaozhou Township and Gaoshu Township, whose parents have concerns about the rental environment, prefer to commute over 4 hours daily.

Hengchun Junior High School stated that enrollment this year has been good, and the team size will increase to 42 players. Many new students come from indigenous villages such as Mudan and Shizi, as well as other remote areas, which will significantly increase the demand for accommodation. Therefore, it is recommended that the school's Yu Shan Building, currently used by the resource class, be renovated into dormitories for the baseball team. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150702

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