PDF(2.7mb) - 國家政策研究基金會

62 Taiwan Development Perspectives 2009
Foreword
Education has been greatly improved in the Republic
of China on Taiwan over the past six decades.
Taiwan was restored to the Republic of China in 1945
after a half century of Japanese colonial rule. The five
years that followed were a period of transition from
Japanese to Chinese education. The development of
education since 1950 illustrates five significant trends.
1. Universality: After elementary education was made
universal, efforts have been made to popularize secondary
and higher education. Senior high schools
and universities have proliferated.
2. Liberalization: Education has been decentralized.
Colleges and universities enjoy campus autonomy.
Parental participation prevails. Schools have been liberalized.
3. Multiplicity: The joint entrance examination was
abolished as the sole criterion for high school and
college admission. A multiple screening system is in
place to admit students. They can take examinations.
Admission can be granted by recommendation. Talented
students may be admitted despite their low
academic performance.
4. Sophistication: Schools at all levels have been sophisticated.
They are richly funded. Sophisticated
teaching materials, apparatus and equipment are
available. The quality of the faculty has been greatly
enhanced.
5. Internationalization: International student and faculty
exchanges have been promoted.
As the economic globalization continues, Taiwan
should emphasize internationalization in education.
This study analyzes the development of education in
Taiwan and compares it with the experiences of the
United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
Australia, Japan, South Korea and the People’s Republic
of China. Six educational indicators are compared.
They are: preschool education, elementary education,
secondary education, higher education, funding, and
student exchanges.
Taiwan’s Educational Development
The Japanese enforced their educational system in
Taiwan for 50 years until 1945. There were one university
and two junior colleges. Schools at lower levels
were not enough to enforce primary and secondary
education. Chinese education started after Taiwan was
restored to the Republic of China at the end of the Second
World War. There was a five-year period of transition.
Education has been popularized since 1950.
There were 1,504 schools on Taiwan in 1950.
The number rose to 8,202 in 2007. Teachers numbered
29,020 in 1950 and 175,501 in 2007, a tenfold increase.
The teacher-student ratio was one to 36.35 in 1950 and
one to 19.03 in 2007. In the meantime, students multiplied.
They totaled 1,054,927 in 1950, accounting for
13.964 percent of the population. The figures were
5,242,944 and 22.837 percent in 2007. In 2007, those
enrolled in primary and junior high schools accounted
for 51.64 percent of the student population. Senior high
and vocational high school students represented 14.38
percent and those receiving higher education made up
25.29 percent in the same year. The remaining 8.69
percent were students enrolled in supplementary and
special schools. (See Table 1.)