Taiwanese Education

“There is a palace of gold in a book”
-Chinese proverb

Education in Taiwan is very important. For 1300 years during Imperial Chinese rule, you had to memorise the works of Confucius and pass a lengthy examination if you wanted to get into the civil service. This was a well paid job that you held for life. Needless to say, only the moneyed elite had the opportunity sit around rote learning 20 books.

The legacy of this system permeates the modern Taiwanese education structure. Great emphasis is put on students passing exams, as this is seen as the only way to find security in later life. Cases of students being beaten for bad grades are common and they teen suicide rate is through the roof.

School

With this in mind, it is surprising that children in Taiwan only go to school for half days until they are nine. After that, things get a little more hectic. Classes can have as many as 50 students and are based on the “chalk and talk” method of teaching – I speak, you listen and regurgitate my thoughts on demand. It’s all rote learning.

Having “ideas” is not generally encouraged. Exams and quizzes are so common you’d think they would become meaningless. Classes start at 7.30 am and finish at 4 pm. Many of the students I speak to aren’t allowed to watch TV, use the internet or have any interests outside studying. With all the importance of academic achievement, it is no surprise that many students enrol in extra classes after school: buxibans.

Students also clean the school. I like this idea as you’re less likely to make a mess if you have to keep the place clean.

University

At the end of high school, there is one final examination that will determine your whole future, or so it is presented – The University Entrance Exam. This will decide what courses they can study. What you can study is often dictated by parents as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met young girls studying engineering, who seem to have almost no interest in the topic. The tragedy is compounded when I meet middle aged people with jobs they hate.

Oddly enough they best universities are the public institutions; while private schools are for the rich, thick kids. Some universities are set up by large corporations to mould their employees of the future.

Everything foreign in Taiwan is considered worthy. Students are no exception. Over the past few years the government has been offering huge grants for students to come and study for an MBA for free. Classes are mostly in English but the quality of the course (and the English) is yet to be seen.

Military service is compulsory in Taiwan for males after they leave study. Therefore, it seems many male students go onto further study, just to avoid going to the army.

Later Life

What is the result of all this education based on rote learning and memorisation?

A nation without imagination

Independent thinking is not encouraged, and although hard working, something extra will be required to take this economy to the next level, like those of Japan or Korea.

You look at biggest industries in Taiwan and they don’t produce anything original but reproduce cheaper versions of other people’s ideas: semiconductors, bicycles and Asus computers. With China having a huge pool of slave labour, the Taiwanese are going to find it hard to compete unless they can find something that no one else does better.

You still need to pass a huge exam to get into the civil service.