Taiwan’s Ministry of Education recently responded to online claims suggesting that students could be mobilized for military service or sent to the battlefield. The ministry clarified that the current “School Youth Service Mobilization Preparation Classification Plan” does not involve students in military operations, military training, or police duties, and there are no plans to send minors to the battlefield.

According to the ministry, the plan is based on the Ministry of the Interior’s manpower mobilization framework. Its primary purpose is to strengthen disaster prevention, emergency response, first aid, self-help, and mutual assistance skills through national defense education, campus safety drills, and related training programs.

The Ministry of Education stated that the plan focuses on evacuation guidance, community care, public services, and administrative support. It explicitly excludes military and police duties and therefore does not involve combat operations or military training.

In response to concerns that schools would create student rosters or require consent forms, the ministry noted that it stopped compiling youth service data for senior secondary and higher education institutions in 2023 and discontinued the use of youth service consent forms in 2024. Schools are not required to establish student lists or collect related documents under the current plan.

Regarding references to military alert levels in the plan, the ministry explained that the terminology reflects adjustments to national emergency response mechanisms and urban resilience exercises. The purpose is to verify local government coordination and disaster response procedures rather than involve students in military activities.