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Education in the Republic of China

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Education in the Republic of China (Taiwan)
250px
Educational oversight
Minister of Education
 Ministry of Education
Tu Cheng-sheng
Funding>National education budget NT$ 608.6 billion (2002)
Language>Primary language(s) of education Mandarin, some instruction in Holo (Taiwanese), Hakka, and various aboriginal languages
Central system
Literacy (2003)
 • Men
 • Women 		96.1 %
97 %
95 %
Enrollment
 • Primary education>Primary
 • Secondary
 • Post-secondary 		5,384,9261
2,153,7172
1,676,970
1,270,1943
Attainment
 • Secondary education>Secondary diploma
 • Post-secondary diploma
— %
— %
1[Ministry of Education website]
2Includes Kindergarten
3Includes junior colleges

The Republic of China (Taiwan) has a comprehensive education system influenced by the Japanese education system (Taiwan Island and the Pescadores were a Japanese colony). The system has been successful in that pupils in the Republic of China boast some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in math and science; however, it has also been criticized for placing excessive pressure on students and eschewing creativity in favor of rote memorization. Recent educational reforms intended to address these criticisms are a topic of intense debate in the Republic of China.

Suicide rate for students are high in the ROC and comparable to the rates in Japan. This is often attributed to the tremendous academic pressures faced by students.

The literacy rate in 2003 was 96.1%.

Contents

Public education

Republic of China (Taiwan)

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The public education system in the Republic of China spans from kindergarten through university. Public education has been compulsory from elementary school through junior high school since 1968. In 2001 roughly 16% of the central budget was spent on education.

Access to high school and university is controlled by a series of national exams. Discipline in public schools of all levels is generally very tight with school uniforms and morning reveille being the norm. Students of all levels through high school are responsible for cleaning their own classrooms and areas around the school, cleanup time being a daily ritual. Corporal punishment is officially banned, but many reports suggest it is still practiced by many teachers, due in no small part to the fact that most parents support it.

The school year consists of two semesters. The fall semester begins in early September and runs till late January or early February. Winter vacation typically runs from two to three weeks around the Lunar New Year. Spring semester begins following the Lantern Festival in mid February and ends in early June. From middle school on, many schools hold "optional supplementary classes" during winter and summer vacation as well as after normal school hours. Despite the name, in many cases participation is compulsory. The language of instruction is Mandarin.

Primary education

Elementary schools

Elementary schools in the Republic of China span grades 1 through 6, classes are held from Monday through Friday, typically from 7:30 AM through 4PM (or noon on Wednesdays). Subjects include:

Like middle schools, students are typically assigned to the elementary school closest to their registered place of residence. This leads some parents to file their children's household registration with other relatives or friends for the purpose of sending their children to what are perceived as better schools.

Secondary education

Junior high school

Junior high school spans grades 7 through 9 and is the last half of compulsory education. Unlike the slower pace of elementary school, junior high students typically have a single goal in life: to score high on the national senior high school entrance exams at the end of 9th grade. Consequently, the pressure on students from teachers and parents is intense. Though instruction officially ends around 4PM, students often stay in school till as late as 8 or 9PM for "extra classes" (which typically consist of extra quizzes and review).

Subject matter covered includes:

At the end of their third year, students participate in the national senior high school entrance exams and are assigned to senior high schools based upon their scores. Students may also participate in a separate national vocational school entrance exam if they wish to attend vocational school. In both cases, public schools are usually the most popular while private schools have traditionally been viewed as a backup for those unable to score high enough for public schools.

Roughly 94.7% of junior high school students continue on to senior high or vocational school.

Senior high school

Senior high school spans grades 10 through 12, again the main goal of students is to score highly on the national university entrance exams at the end of their third year. The pace is just as, if not more intense than junior high school.

Discipline in educational institutions from high school and up (including vocational schools) are the responsibility of military officers stationed at the individual schools (as opposed to elementary and junior high school where teachers and school administrators were responsible for discipline). In addition to the normal subjects, students are also required to attend a military education class covering issues such as civil defense, military drills, national defense, and basic firearms training. In the past, high (and vocational) school students were expected to take on civil defense duties in the event of national emergency.

In many high schools incoming students may select science or liberal arts tracks depending on where their interests lie. As one might expect, the science track includes more rigorous science and math classes intended to prepare the student for a career in the sciences and engineering; the liberal arts track places a heavier emphasis on literature and social studies to prepare students for a future in those fields.

At the end of their third year, college bound students participate in the national university entrance exams in hopes of attending a four-year university.

Vocational schools

Vocational schools are three-year institutions similar to normal high schools. Unlike normal high schools, they place a heavier emphasis on practical and vocational skills. Incoming students typically choose a single concentration, such as electrical engineering, civil engineering, computer science or business. Some specialized vocational schools also offer programs in seamanship and agriculture. Vocational school graduates may also participate in the national university entrance exams. It is not uncommon for students to select vocational school over high school and proceed to a four year college afterwards.

Higher education

See also: List of universities in Taiwan

There are over 100 institutions of higher education in Taiwan. Roughly 66.6% of the over 100,000 students taking the national university entrance exams are accepted to a higher educational institution. Nonetheless a high score is desired as admission to the most prestigious institutions (such as National Taiwan University) is still highly selective.

University

Taiwan has several universities, both public and private. Traditionally, public schools are viewed as being more prestigious then private schools. Engineering is extremely popular and engineering degrees account for over a quarter of the bachelor degrees awarded in Taiwan. Popular majors include: electrical engineering and medicine (traditionally the most selective, and most prestigious).

Some of the most highly regarded universities in Taiwan include:

In contrast with junior high and high school, college life in Taiwan is generally seen as being rather relaxed. This has led many people to send their children abroad (typically to the United States) where universities are seen as being more rigorous. Graduate degrees from the U.S. and Europe are also highly prized with many students applying to foreign graduate schools after completing university (though the number has declined somewhat in recent years). An average of 13000 university graduates per year choose to pursue graduate studies in the U.S..

Medical school

Unlike the U.S., medical school in Taiwan begins as an undergraduate major and lasts seven years (six years for dentistry), with the final year being hands on training at a teaching hospital. Graduates of medical school may elect to continue on to graduate school to pursue a doctoral degree.

Law school

Like medicine, law school is selected as an undergraduate major and lasts five years.

Teacher training

Most higher educational institutions offering programs in education run five years, with students receiving teaching credentials at the end of the program. Students consenting to teach for a set number of years after graduating receive tuition waivers from the government.

Technical institutes

Taiwan offers four types of technical institutes each targeted at a specific age group.

5 year junior colleges

Students enter five-year junior colleges after graduating junior high school and passing a national exam. The curriculum is similar to that of vocational schools with the exception that 5 year junior colleges run for two additional years. Students graduate with the equivalent of an associate degree and are ready to enter the workforce. Some students may choose to continue their studies at a two year technical institute or apply to transfer into a four year university.

2 year junior colleges

Two-year junior colleges offer advanced vocational training for graduates of vocational or senior high schools. Students graduate with an associates degree and may continue on to a 2 year technical institute, transfer to a four year university, or enter the workforce.

2 year technical institutes

Two year technical institutes offer vocational training for graduates of 2 year technical colleges.

4 year technical institutes

4 year technical institutes typically accept senior high and vocational school graduates, and offer in depth job and vocational training.

Graduate school

Private education

Private educational institutions are pervasive in Taiwan ranging from private schools at all levels to supplementary cram schools or buxiban.

Cram schools (Buxiban)

With the intense pressure placed on students to achieve by parents, many students enroll in private after-school classes intended to supplement their regular education. These cram schools are an extremely large (and profitable) business in Taiwan and have been criticized by some as being the result of cultural overemphasis on academic achievement. Ranging from well known chain schools such as Joy and Hess, who each have hundreds of locations islandwide, through to single independents, the market for this type of school is huge. Popular subjects in cram schools include English, math, and the natural sciences. Test prep classes are also popular amongst junior and senior high school students.

Classes are generally very orderly and controlled, with class sizes as high as 200 or so students in some famous institutions. The quality of cram schools varies considerably. Some of the larger schools and chains write their own programs and produce their own textbooks. To date, the largest private school in the Republic of China is Hess Educational Organization.

Kindergartens and preschool

While many public kindergartens and preschools exist in Taiwan, private kindergartens and preschools are also quite popular. Many private preschools offer accelerated courses in various subjects to compete with public preschools and capitalize on public demand for academic achievement. Curriculum at such preschools often encompasses subject material such as science, art, physical education and even maths classes. The majority of these schools are part of large school chains, which operate under franchise arrangements. In return for annual fees, the chain enterprises may supply advertising, curriculum, books, materials, training, and even staff for each individual school.

There has been a huge growth in the number of privately owned and operated English immersion preschools in Taiwan since 1999. These English immersion preschools generally employ native English speaking teachers to teach the whole preschool curriculum in an ‘English only’ environment. The legality of these types of schools has been called into question on many occasions, yet they continue to prosper. Some members of Taiwanese society have raised concerns as to whether local children should be placed in English immersion environments at such a young age, and have raised fears that the students abilities in their mother language may suffer as a result. The debate continues, but at the present time, the market for English Immersion Preschools continues to grow.

References

- [Taiwan]

See also

External links

 

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