NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Education in Taiwan

The Taiwanese educational system produces pupils with some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in mathematics and science.^[1]^[2] It has been criticised for placing excessive pressure on students and eschewing creativity in favour of rote memorization. Recent educational reforms intended to address these criticisms are a topic of intense debate in Taiwan.

Although current law mandates only nine years of schooling, 95% of students go on to high school, trade school or college.

Public education

The public education system in Taiwan spans nursery schools through university. Public education has been compulsory from primary 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. Lunar New Year may refer to the beginning of the year in several cultures calendars: Chinese New Year Korean New Year Islamic New Year Táº¿t (Vietnamese New Year) Thai New Year (Songkran) Categories: | ... For the festival associated with mooncakes sometimes called Lantern Festival, see Mid-Autumn Festival. ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ...

Primary education

Elementary schools

Elementary schools 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. For other uses, see Formosan languages, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Languages of Taiwan. ... Hakka is one language in the family of languages known as Chinese. ...

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).

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. The old United States civil defense logo. ... It has been suggested that Drill (military) be merged into this article or section. ...

In many high schools incoming students may select science or liberal arts tracks depending on where their interests lie. The different learning tracks are commonly referred to as groups. Group I consists of liberal arts students, Group II and Group III of science based students (the latter studies biology as an additional subject). Science based curriculum consists of more rigorous science and mathematics 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.

Entrance to university is administered via two methods: Recommendations or Examination. For those that participate in recommendations, they have to take a national academic exam and selecting a list of majors that they are applying to. The first stage is a screening of exam results for eligibility, the second stage would be dependent on the conditions of individual departments selected. For those that did not choose to take the recommendations process, or failed their applications, they have the choice to participate in the national university entrance exams after graduation in hopes of university admission.

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. Seamanship is the art of operating a ship or boat. ...

Higher education

See also: List of universities in Taiwan The following is a list of universities in the Republic of China on Taiwan: Aletheia University China Medical University Chinese Culture University Chang Gung University Chang Jung Christian University Chaoyang University of Technology Cheng Shiu University Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science Chienkuo Technology University Ching Yun University Chung...

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. Since the 1990s many trade schools and junior colleges have been "promoted" to university status, which can account for the high university entrance rates. Nonetheless a high score is desired as admission to the most prestigious institutions (such as National Taiwan University) is still highly selective. National Taiwan University (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuo2-li4 tai2-wan1 ta4-hsÃ¼eh2; POJ: Kok-liÌp TÃ¢i-Ã´an TÄi-haÌk; abbreviation NTU)[2] is a national university in Taipei City, Taiwan. ...

University

Taiwan has many universities, both public and private. Traditionally, public schools are viewed as being more prestigious than private schools. The logic for this is because private schools were originally seen as schools that catered to those students who did not gain acceptance to the public schools such as National Taiwan University, and that charged these students' parents (usually of reasonable affluence) money in order for the children to at least gain college education of some sort. 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). Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ...

In contrast with junior high and high school, where students are pressured by the highly selective entrance exams, college life in Taiwan is generally seen as being rather relaxed. 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.. National Taiwan University (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuo2-li4 tai2-wan1 ta4-hsÃ¼eh2; POJ: Kok-liÌp TÃ¢i-Ã´an TÄi-haÌk; abbreviation NTU)[2] is a national university in Taipei City, Taiwan. ... National Taiwan Normal University (åœ‹ç«‹å°ç£å¸«ç¯„å¤§å¸) is a large university in downtown Taipei. ... In the history of education, the seven liberal arts comprise two groups of studies, the trivium and the quadrivium. ... The Michelsonâ€“Morley experiment was used to disprove that light propagated through a luminiferous aether. ... In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study or a practical skill, including learning and thinking skills. ... National Tsing Hua University (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuo-li Ching-hua Ta-hsuÃ«h; abbreviated as NTHU) is a university in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... Materials science includes those parts of chemistry and physics that deal with the properties of materials. ... Chemical engineers design, construct and operate plants Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the application of physical science (e. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Nuclear engineering is the practical application of the breakdown of atomic nuclei and/or other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... For the journal, see Linguistics (journal). ... This article is about the study of the past in human terms. ... National Chiao Tung University (Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: GÃºolÃ¬ JiÄotÅng DÃ xÃºe; Tongyong Pinyin: GÃºolÃ¬ Jiaotong DÃ syÃºe; abbreviated as NCTU) is a top-tier research university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC. It was established by former Chiao Tung University faculty members and alumni... Electrical Engineers design power systems. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Management science, or MS, is the discipline of using mathematics, and other analytical methods, to help make better business decisions. ... Hsinchu Science Park (Chinese: æ–°ç«¹ç§‘å¸åœ’å€; Hanyu Pinyin: XÄ«nzhÃº KÄ“ XuÃ© YuÃ¡n QÅ«; Tongyong Pinyin: SinjhÃº Ke SyuÃ© YuÃ¡n Cyu) was established by the government of the Republic of China on December 15, 1980 with investment from the Kuomintang. ... åœ‹ç«‹æ¸…è¯å¤§å¸ National Tsing Hua University National Tsing Hua University (Traditional Chinese: åœ‹ç«‹æ¸…è¯å¤§å¸; Simplified Chinese: å›½ç«‹æ¸…åŽå¤§å¦; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuo-li Ching-hua Ta-hsuÃ«h) is a university in Hsinchu City, Taiwan Province, Republic of China. ... National Cheng Kung University (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: GuÃ³lÃ¬ ChÃ©nggÅng DÃ xuÃ©; Wade-Giles: Kuo2-li4 Cheng2-kung1 Ta4-hsÃ¼eh2; Tongyong Pinyin: GuÃ³LÃ¬ ChÃ©ngGong DÃ SyuÃ©), abbreviated as NCKU (æ å¤§, Lang DÃ ), is located in Tainan City, Taiwan. ... Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... For other uses, see Management (disambiguation). ... Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering that concerns the design, construction and science behind aircraft and spacecraft. ... åœ‹ç«‹æ”¿æ²»å¤§å¸ National Chengchi University Â© National Chengchi University National Chengchi University (Traditional Chinese: åœ‹ç«‹æ”¿æ²»å¤§å¸; Simplified Chinese: å›½ç«‹æ”¿æ²»å¤§å¦; Pinyin: GuÃ³lÃ¬ ZhÃ¨ngzhÃ¬ DÃ xuÃ©; National Political University) is a public university at Muzha in Wenshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan. ... National Taipei University (åœ‹ç«‹è‡ºåŒ—å¤§å¸) is a national university in Taiwan, founded in 1949. ... National Central University (國立中央大學) is a university located in Taiwan. ... National Chung Hsing University (Traditional Chinese: åœ‹ç«‹ä¸èˆˆå¤§å¸; Simplified Chinese: å›½ç«‹ä¸å…´å¤§å¦) is a university in Taichung, Republic of China (Taiwan). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Medical school

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. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, USA. A medical school or faculty of medicine is a tertiary educational institution â€” or part of such an institution â€” that teaches medicine. ... This article is about the dental profession. ... A Teaching hospital is a hospital which provides medical training. ...

Law school (College of Law)

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

Teacher training

Most higher educational institutions offering programs in education. Such programs run four years, in addition to a half-year internship, with students receiving teaching credentials at the end of the program. While currently education programs are available in most institutes of tertiary education, prospective teachers typically go to a "university of education" if they want to teach primary school, and a "normal university" for secondary school. One exception is National Changhua University of Education, which, like normal universities, is renowned for its dedication to culitivating secondary school teachers.

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 (also known as crammers) are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities. ...

Cram schools

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. Popular subjects in cram schools include English, mathematics, and the natural sciences. Test prep classes are also popular amongst junior and senior high school students. English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, India, South Africa, and the Middle East, among other areas), English linguistics (including English phonetics, phonology... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... The term natural science as the way in which different fields of study are defined is determined as much by historical convention as by the present day meaning of the words. ...

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.

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 mathematics 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. A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all area of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results. ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... Franchising (from the French for honesty or freedom[1]) is a method of doing business wherein a franchisor authorizes proven methods of doing business to a franchisee in exchange for a recurring payment, fees and a percentage of sales or profits. ...

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. Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

References

The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)[2] is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

The Academia Sinica (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), headquartered in the Nan-kang district () of Taipei, is the national academy for Taiwan. ... Gender Equity Education Act () of Republic of China was announced on 2004 June 23. ... Under Qing Dynasty rule, many traditional schools were established, mostly studying Chinese classics such as the teachings of Confucius. ...

External links

This a list of articles related to Taiwan. ... This article is about the people of Taiwan. ... Taiwans population was estimated in July 2006 at 23,036,087 [1] spread across a total land area of 35,980 kmÂ², making it the twelfth most densely populated country in the world with a population density of 886 people per kmÂ². According to official governmental statistics, 15% of... The human rights record of Taiwan is generally held to have experienced significant transformation over the last two decades. ... The term Administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction. ... Elections in the Republic of China gives information on election and election results in the Republic of China (with effective control over Taiwan, Quemoy, Matsu and some islands in the South China Sea since 1949). ... Flag of Taiwan redirects here. ... The Republic of China (ROC) , now only constituting the island of Taiwan and a few smaller islands, is currently recognized by 24 states, including the Holy See of Vatican City. ... Flag of the Republic of China The Nationality Law of the Republic of China (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) [1] regulates citizenship in the Republic of China (Taiwan). ... Manuscript of the speech at the opening ceremony of the Whampoa Military Academy, handwriting by Dr. Sun Yat-sen National Anthem of the Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: ä¸è¯æ°‘åœ‹åœ‹æŒ, Simplified Chinese: ä¸åŽæ°‘å›½å›½æŒ, Pinyin: ZhÅnghuÃ¡ MÃngÃºo gÃºogÄ“), is the current national anthem of the Republic of China (ROC). ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The Blue Sky with a White Sun flag is the Kuomintang (KMT) party flag and the ROC naval jack. ... The Republic of China (ROC) currently has jurisdiction over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, and the Pescadores Islands (Penghu) and several smaller islands. ... Bunun dancer in traditional aboriginal dress. ... Total population 2006: 458,000 (CIP 2006) 2004: 454,600 (CIP 2004) Homelands in Taiwan Mountainous terrain running in five ranges from the northern to the southern tip of the island Narrow eastern plains Orchid Island (LÃ¡n YÇ”) Languages 14 living Formosan languages. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 13. ... Cuisines in Taiwan (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) have several variations. ... Taipei Lantern Festival in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. ... See also Culture of Taiwan List of Taiwanese authors External links Contemporary Authors Full-Text & Image System 當代文學史料影像全文系統 (in Chinese characters) Mimesis and Motivation in Taiwan Colonial Fiction On-line Alliance of Taiwans Modern Poetry 臺灣現代詩網路聯盟 (in Chinese characters) Taiwan Fiction in Translation Taiwanese Literature (gio. ... Taiwan is densely-populated and culturally diverse, including a majority of Han Chinese, including the Holo and Hakka peoples and significant quantities of Mainlanders, refugees who arrived with Chiang Kai-shek in the middle of the 20th century, and the minority of aboriginal peoples. ... Night markets in Taiwan are similar to those in China and other areas inhabited by ethnic Chinese such as Southeast Asia, and Chinatowns worldwide. ... In Taiwan most people drink tea, and tea is not only a drink, but also a culture. ... Mountains Alishan Museums National Palace Museum Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall National Parks Main article: List of national parks of the Republic of China Places Maokong Bitan Republic of China Taiwan List of Taiwanese counties and cities by population List of cities in the Free... This is a list of the banks in Taiwan (including government-owned banks of the Republic of China): Central Bank of China Mega International Commercial Bank Bank of Taiwan Fubon Bank Chinese Bank Taiwan Cooperative Bank TaipeiBank Hualien Business Bank E.Sun Bank Chinfon Bank Bowa Bank China United Trust... The following is a list of companies based in Taiwan. ... ISO 4217 Code TWD User(s) Republic of China Inflation 0. ... Taiwan is on the fault line where the Euro-Asian and Philippine continental plates meet. ... Taiwan is known for its mountainous regions and many Taiwanese people take advantage of it by participating in mountain climbing all over the island. ... The National Park Act of the Republic of China was passed in 1972 to protect the nature, wildlife, and history. ... This article discusses the history of Taiwan (including the Pescadores). ... This is a timeline of the History of Taiwan including the History of the Republic of China on Taiwan (1945-present). ... The Prehistory of Taiwan includes the late Paleolithic era. ... The Kingdom of Tungning or Dongning (æ±å¯§çŽ‹åœ‹; pinyin: DÅngnÃng WÃ¡ngguÃ³ ) was the first Han Chinese state to exist on Taiwan, between 1661 and 1683. ... Qing Dynasty ruled Taiwan from 1683 to 1895. ... The flag for the Republic of Formosa, 1895, depicting a tiger. ... The Japanese colonial period, Japanese rule or the Japanese occupation[1], in the context of Taiwans history, refers to the period between 1895 and 1945 during which Taiwan was a Japanese colony. ... The Republic of China succeeded the Qing Dynasty in China and ruled mainland China from 1912 to 1949 and has ruled Taiwan (along with several islands of Fujian) since 1945. ... This article is about institutional education. ... According to the Law on Education adopted in 1995, the Romanian Educational System is regulated by the Ministry of Education and Research (Ministerul EducaÅ£iei ÅŸi CercetÄƒrii - MEC)]. Each level has its own form of organization and is subject to different legislations. ... This is a list of articles on education organized by country: Education in Afghanistan Education in Albania Education in Algeria Education in Argentina Education in Armenia Education in Australia Education in Austria Education in Bangladesh Higher Education in Bangladesh Education in Belarus Education in Belgium Education in Bolivia Education in...

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