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Education In Taiwan

by Nick Clark
Assistant editor, WENR

Taiwan has been a disputed territory since the 17th century, when colonial rule of the country briefly flip-flopped between the occupying forces of Holland, Spain and France, before becoming part of China in 1662. In 1895, Taiwan was annexed by Japan following the Sino-Japanese War and remained under occupation until the island was returned to China after Japan's defeat in World War II.

Soon after, in 1949, Communist forces gained control of mainland China. The ruling Nationalist Party, the Guomintang, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, retreated to Taiwan and imposed martial law on the island. Backed by the United States, the Nationalist government enjoyed international recognition as the legitimate seat of power for the whole of China. It was not until 1979 that the United States formally recognized Beijing and withdrew formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan. In 1991, Taiwan ended its formal state of war with the mainland, although relations between the two remain strained over rights to government of the island.

Before Japanese occupation, there was no modern education system in Taiwan. A Western-style system of education was established for the first time under Japanese occupation, with the colonial tongue as the official language of instruction. The Japanese legacy left a skeletal education infrastructure that consisted of one university, one higher school and a few colleges (equivalent to today's junior colleges). Research and vocational education were emphasized in an effort to provide research material and manpower for Japan's colonial policy; enrollment was for a very select few.

Liberation from Japanese rule saw a return to the Chinese system of education, in use on the mainland since 1922 and mainly following the American template (6-3-3). The 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China decreed that elementary education should be mandatory for all children aged 6 to 12, and that all citizens should have an equal opportunity to education. In 1968, the period of free and compulsory education was extended from six years to nine years, and in 1990, a further act of Parliament guaranteed free secondary schooling for 12 years.

Strong central planning of the education system has ensured that the government has maintained strong control of the educational direction of the nation. In the 1970s, increasing emphasis was placed on vocational education to meet the demands of a rapidly industrializing economy. Political reforms of 1986 ended 38 years of martial law in Taiwan and culminated in the peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party in 2000. Along with political reforms, many professors and students have been urging more academic freedom and institutional autonomy in recent years. In response, the government revised the University Act, allowing for greater academic self-determination and university independence in terms of both student enrollment and faculty appointments, previously tightly controlled by the Ministry of Education.

Mandarin Chinese is the language of instruction in Taiwan's primary and secondary schools, although many tertiary institutions offer instruction in English. The school year runs two semesters, from September to January and from February to June.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Children can attend kindergarten from age 3 to 5; it is not compulsory, and only about a quarter of all children attend. Private kindergartens outnumber public ones by more than 3 to 1. Curriculum is flexible, and kindergartners receive a certificate at year-end. Elementary education is compulsory, and enrollment is almost 100 percent.

Duration: Six years (ages 6-11)

Curriculum: civics and ethics, health education, Chinese, mathematics, social studies, natural science, singing and playing, physical education, music, fine arts, craft work and industrial arts or home economics.

Leaving Certificate: Diploma of graduation

SECONDARY EDUCATION

Secondary education covers six years: three years junior high school and three years senior high school or senior vocational high school. Successful junior school graduates obtain a certificate and may proceed to senior secondary schools, senior vocational schools or five-year junior colleges.

Junior High School

Duration: three years (ages 12 to 14)

Curriculum: civics and ethics, health education, Chinese, English, mathematics, history, geography, natural science, physical education, music, fine arts and industrial arts or home economics, plus elective subjects such as drawing or commerce.

Leaving Certificate: Diploma

Senior High School

Entrance Exam: Until 2001, all students took the Joint Public Senior High School Entrance Examinations, which has now been replaced by the Basic Achievement Test for Junior High School Students (please see sidebar).

I. Academic Schools: Concentrate on the humanities and sciences, and are primarily intended to prepare students for admission to higher education institutions through the competitive Universities and Colleges Joint Entrance Examination.

Duration: three years (ages 15 to 17)

Curriculum: Chinese, English, civics, the Three Principles of the People (philosophy of Dr. Sun Yat-sen), history, geography, mathematics, basic science, physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, physical education, music, fine arts, industrial arts, home economics and military training.

Awarding Certificate: Senior high school diploma

II. Vocational Schools: Offer programs representing a combination of general education subjects plus a vocational component chosen from one of seven main areas (see below).

Duration: three years (ages 15 to 18)

Curriculum: industry or technology, commerce, marine products, agriculture, nursing and midwifery, home economics and opera and the arts.

Awarding Certificate: Senior vocational school diploma

• Note: Students also have the option of attending five-year junior college programs upon graduation from junior high school. These programs, primarily technical and vocational in content, combine a student's three remaining years of high school with two years of higher education. Successful students are awarded a Certificate/Diploma of Graduation (see technical education below).

HIGHER EDUCATION

According to 2000 Ministry of Education (MOE) statistics, Taiwan has 150 recognized institutions of higher education, both public and private, divided into four categories: four-year universities and colleges, institutes of technology/polytechnics (many now upgraded to universities) and junior colleges. To qualify as a university, an institute must consist of at least three faculties. Both universities and independent colleges offer four-year programs leading to a bachelor's degree.

Reforms to the structure of higher education in 1994 and 1995 gave institutions greater economic, academic and recruiting freedoms than previously, when the MOE had sole authority over budgets, appointments and curriculum. Although still tightly controlled by the MOE, national universities now have the ability to raise funds and distribute resources. The introduction of alternative student-entry requirements, as discussed below, gives universities a number of criteria when looking at prospective students. The MOE no longer controls personnel appointments, allowing universities a greater say in their academic and administrative futures.

UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION

Access and Admission

Admission to institutions of higher education is based on results from the highly competitive liankao, translated as the Joint College Entrance Examination or the Universities and Colleges Joint Entrance Examination, administered by the MOE.

Traditionally, higher education institutions had to accept students whose examination results met their minimum entrance requirements. Institutions in Taiwan therefore had no say in selecting students, and the liankao exerted great pressure on high school seniors and created a much criticized culture of rote learning and exam-based teaching. As of the academic year 2002, students can adopt alternative methods when applying to a university or college. While logistics are still being worked out, some students are submitting applications that, along with their liankao scores, include their high-school grades, teacher recommendations and other evidence of scholastic ability (see sidebar).

Programs and Degrees

Stage 1: The Bachelor's Degree is generally awarded after four years of study. However, it is awarded after five years for veterinary science, architecture and fine arts (offered at the National Institute of Fine Arts); after six years for dentistry, including a one-year internship; and after seven years for medicine, including a one-year internship. The MOE requires that a minimum of 128 credit hours be completed during a four-year bachelor-degree program.

All students are required to take noncredit courses in military training and physical education.

Students who have completed a two-year, junior-college-level program in certain technological disciplines may complete a bachelor's degree in the same field at a public institute/university of technology. (See below for a classification of universities of technology.) This requires an additional two years of study.

Stage 2: The Master's Degree generally takes two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree but can take as long as four years. All applicants are required to take a master's-degree entrance examination. Junior college graduates are also eligible to take the examination after an appropriate period of employment experience, but this is relatively rare. Master's degrees are awarded after successful completion of required coursework, written examinations and a minor thesis. Proficiency in English and a second foreign language is required.

Stage 3: The Doctorate (Ph.D.) normally requires between two and seven years of study after a master's degree. Applicants must meet specific admission criteria, in addition to passing an entrance examination. Graduate students who achieve an outstanding performance during their master's-degree program may be recommended to pursue their doctoral degree without having to take an entrance examination. A doctoral degree is granted after successful completion of a coursework component, research and the submission and defense of a dissertation. Proficiency in English and another foreign language is required.

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION

Junior Colleges: These schools focus primarily on applied sciences and technology, and turn out a work force with mid-level technical or managerial skills. Junior colleges can be divided into two types. The first group, as noted above, admits junior high school graduates to five-year programs. The second group admits students to two-year courses, provided they have completed the full 12-year secondary school program. Students can enter the two-year program from both senior vocational high schools and from senior high schools. Junior colleges exist in both the private and the public sector, although of the 23 recognized by the MOE in 2000, only four were privately run. Junior colleges offer programs in industry, agriculture, commerce, home economics, marine studies, pharmacology, nursing, medical technology, physical education, arts, music, opera, languages and food service.

• Note: Many junior colleges have been upgraded to either universities or colleges in recent years as the MOE attempts to increase access to four-year programs. Until very recently, three-year courses were available at junior colleges. These courses have been phased out and replaced by four-year courses at newly upgraded colleges and universities.

Universities/Institutes of Technology: These institutions fall into three categories:

1) Some private institutions, classified as junior colleges, use this term in their title.

2) Some private four-year colleges are also called institutes of technology and offer bachelor and postgraduate degree programs.

3) The national universities of technology (formerly national institutes of technology) offer four-year bachelor degree programs for senior high school graduates and two-year bachelor degree programs for junior college graduates. Institutes/universities in this third category provide the highest levels of technical and vocational education in Taiwan. Undergraduate programs, master's programs and doctorates are offered in engineering, design, agriculture, management, home economics, medicine, nursing and health-care technology and commercial services.

Teacher Education

Teacher education is only offered at public institutions, and full-time students receive government grants covering room, board and tuition. Teacher-training programs are provided at normal or teaching universities and teacher colleges. The normal universities are set up to train teachers for the secondary level. Teacher colleges are designed to train teachers for kindergarten and primary school levels. Both institutions admit senior high graduates, who are obligated to receive four years of education and training.

Kindergarten and primary teachers are trained at four-year teacher colleges and then serve one-year internships. Admission is dependent on successful completion of senior high school and the Joint Colleges and Universities Entrance Examination. After the internship, prospective teachers must take a license test. Once all components are complete, the bachelor degree is awarded.

Secondary teachers are trained at one of the three four-year teacher universities in Taiwan, where they undertake an integrated course combining specialized study of teaching subjects with methodology. Alternatively, secondary school teachers can graduate from regular universities with 26 to 40 credits in teacher education in addition to the standard 128 credits. Students are required to complete a one-year practicum before graduating with a bachelor's degree.

Nontraditional Higher Education

Distance education is taught at national and municipal open universities. These programs provide adults with advanced and continued education by way of audio-visual communication media. Open university students can be either full time or part time. Full-time students are required to be at least 20 years old. They are admitted after passing an open entrance examination. There is no prerequisite education level for those who register part time; however, they must be 18 or older at the time of registration. Those who fulfill the program requirements receive a bachelor's degree.

INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT

The United States has long been a favorite destination of Taiwanese students studying abroad. In recent years, however, that market share has been dropping off in favor of institutions in Britain, Australia, Japan, Canada and, unofficially, China.

The academic year 1999-2000 witnessed a six percent drop-off in the number of Taiwanese students studying in the United States. In the peak year of 1994, 37,581 students from Taiwan were enrolled at American universities, compared with 29,234 in 1999-2000 and 28,930 in 2001* (*Institute of International Education, 'Open Doors' report). In the U.K. in 2000 there were 8,576 students enrolled at British universities compared with 6,553 in 1999, representing an increase of 33 percent.

Of the three other leading competitors for Taiwan's education market in 2000, Australia welcomed 5,996 students from Taiwan, Japan 5,232 and Canada an estimated 5,000 students.

Interestingly, educational exchange across the Taiwan Straits has been on the rise over the last few years. Despite the government's refusal to recognize diplomas issued in China, more than 200 students, three times more than last year, have applied to Beijing University. While there are no official statistics for students who study in China, there are reportedly tens of thousands of Taiwanese students currently studying there, with an estimated 1,000 Taiwanese holding Chinese degrees that have yet to be recognized by the Taiwanese government.

All figures from the Ministry of Education, unless otherwise stated.

For more information

For the WES Grading Scale, go HERE

For a list of higher education institutions in Taiwan, go HERE

Sources

Education in the Republic of China (Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Education, Taiwan, 2000).

Education Statistical Indicators: Republic of China (Ministry of Education,
Taiwan, 2000).

The Republic of China Yearbook - Taiwan 2002 (Government Information Office, Taiwan, 2002).

Asian Higher Education: An International Handbook and Reference Guide. Edited by Gerard Postiglione and Grace Mak (Greenwood Press, USA, 1997).

International Guide to Qualifications in Education (British Council, Great Britain, 1996).

Country Education Profiles: Taiwan (National Office of Overseas Recognition, Australia, 1996).

Useful Web Sites

• Ministry of Education:
Includes a full listing of MOE recognized schools.

• Association of National Universities and Colleges:
Courtesy of National Taiwan University.

• Academia Sinica:
Conducts scientific research in its own institutes, and provides guidance, channels of communication and encouragement to raise academic standards in the country.

• Republic of China Yearbook 2002:
Includes an in-depth look at the educational situation in Taiwan.

• Taiwan Portal:
Includes links to education sites.

• Education in Taiwan (Fulbright):
Provides information for institutions accepting Taiwan citizens as overseas students.

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