1. Taiwan education aspects
1.4. Education and school curriculum
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It is in this cultural context that education curriculum and pedagogical methods were developed in Taiwan in the past century.
1.4. Education and school curriculum
As we just seen, the Taiwan’s modern education system integrates the Confucian culture, but also state authoritarianism under the early Chinese Nationalist rule via the Kuomintang party (KMT). However in the 1980, with the openness of the society, the end of martial law and the influence of Western capitalist ideology in the development of globalization, Taiwan started adopted neoliberal principle to education that would affect its education reform and policies.
Until recently and the development of the new curriculum in the recent year, Taiwan national education had an examination oriented curriculum. Student education focuses on examination entrance for high School and university. Exam-oriented is rooted in the society and not only related to education. It is part of cultural belief, Confucianism, Keju system and credentials.
As a result exam carries more weight than instruction. Secondary school prepares students for examination and instruction has been dominated by cramming and memorizing. The instructions are teacher oriented and emphasize on student competitiveness to survive to the next educational level.
The curriculum and teaching methods have been criticized as putting exams priority behind well balanced individual development. Student creativity is absent due to strict academic practices, and unfair practice as tracking (student divided into categories according to abilities) continues even it is forbidden. Teacher are often convinced that students learn better with
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國立 政 治 大 學
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N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
The current educational system comprises:
● The day care institutions for the 2-4 years old, oversee by Ministry of Interior Affairs, in charge of social education institutions. This is not at the compulsory level.
● Public kindergarten which enrol 4-6 years old students as part of national curriculum.
The primary school starting for students at 6 year olds
● Junior and senior high students have the choice to enrol in an academic or vocational track. There is also an alternative pathway with a Comprehensive Secondary Education that is offer to the final years of mandatory schooling. Comprehensive high school copied from the US educational system during 1990 reforms.
● The higher education
The compulsory education is free of charge at all level in the public schools.
Taiwan had accepted alternative model of education into its curriculum in the 1990’s. The Forest School for example have a less stressful learning approach than the classic pathway, and beside the traditional courses, the teaching emphasis on teacher-student relationship, aboriginal culture. We can mention the Nantou County’s Forest Elementary School, established in 1990, the Taipei County’s Seedling Elementary School, established in 1994.
From the website1 we can notice that the schools describe themselves as humanist movement against the mainstream of examination oriented government controlled. They mention “The Forest Schools is going to be a demonstration of humanistic education and this demonstration will call upon the people to fight the system”.
1 http://www.forestschool.com.tw/eng.php
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國立 政 治 大 學
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N a tio na
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The Waldorf schools are based on the educational approach of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, which accentuates the role of imagination, practical and artistic development of students. It has been well received by parents enthusiastic for its self learning approach. Ci Xing Waldorf School locate in Yilan County, in the northeast region, is the first private forest school ran by the public sector in Taiwan.
In this regards, the MOE support any initiative from local government in term of experimental school, to be run by public sector as the case of the Waldorf School. Some school specialized in music. The annual MOE report for 2016-17 considers alternative education as a way to center on individual student development.
Other innovative pedagogical experience can be listed as the e-Future Classroom at Nanhu Elementary School in Taipei’s Neihu District that is equipped with cutting-edge technology to support teaching in the digital age.
However the MOE is interested in all learning and teaching experience from the west, as part of the opening of Taiwan to the world. It cooperates with the National Development Council, which asked MOE to initiate bilingual classes in schools. Currently selected classes in four schools in Taiwan are completely taught in English, some other are bilingual with reinforce English lessons, and they plan to develop other subject as maths totally taught in English. The overall strategy is the globalization of Taiwan.
English for specific purpose (ESP) in Taiwan start to be taught in classroom since the early 60’s. English is considered as language of business (banking, commerce, trade) research, technology and tourism. Study English as medium of communication is important element in the education and for Taiwan to engage as a player in global economic stage. Nowadays
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國立 政 治 大 學
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N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
English is compulsory subject within national mainstream school system from grade 3 in elementary school on up.
Foreign languages such as Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, and Spanish were also added to language programs by the MOE. Since 1999 to encourage student to learn a second language the MOE launch a Five-Year Program to Promote the Teaching of a Second Foreign Language in Senior High School.
The new curriculum guidelines, for the 12 year compulsory education, incorporate the Southeast Asia language in the required courses in the elementary school. However, Taiwan currently has a shortage of Cambodian, Filipino and Malaysian teachers.2