Table Of ContentInternational and Development Education
The International and Development Education Series focuses on the complementary areas of
comparative, international, and development education. These books emphasize a number
of topics ranging from key international education issues, trends, and reforms to examina-
tions of national education systems, social theories, and development education initiatives.
Local, national, regional, and global volumes (single authored and edited collections) con-
stitute the breadth of the series and offer potential contributors a great deal of latitude based
on their interests and cutting-edge research. The series is supported by a strong network of
international scholars and development professionals who serve on the International and
Development Education Advisory Board and participate in the selection and review process
for manuscript development.
SERIES EDITORS
John N. Hawkins
Professor Emeritus, University of California, Los Angeles
Senior consultant, IFE 2020 East West Center
W. James Jacob
Assistant professor, University of Pittsburgh
Director, Institute for International Studies in Education
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Heejin Park
Project associate, Institute for International Studies in Education
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Clementina Acedo, UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education, Switzerland
Philip G. Altbach, Boston University, USA
Carlos E. Blanco, Universidad Central de Venezuela
Sheng Yao Cheng, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan
Ruth Hayhoe, University of Toronto, Canada
Wanhua Ma, Peking University, China
Ka-Ho Mok, University of Hong Kong, China
Christine Musselin, Sciences Po, France
Yusuf K. Nsubuga, Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda
Namgi Park, Gwangju National University of Education, Republic of Korea
Val D. Rust, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Suparno, State University of Malang, Indonesia
John C. Weidman, University of Pittsburgh, USA
Husam Zaman, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia
Institute for International Studies in Education
School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
5714 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
Center for International and Development Education
Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
Box 951521, Moore Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
Titles:
Higher Education in Asia/Pacific: Quality and the Public Good
Edited by Terance W. Bigalke and Deane E. Neubauer
Affirmative Action in China and the U.S.: A Dialogue on Inequality and Minority Education
Edited by Minglang Zhou and Ann Maxwell Hill
Critical Approaches to Comparative Education: Vertical Case Studies from Africa, Europe, the
Middle East, and the Americas
Edited by Frances Vavrus and Lesley Bartlett
Curriculum Studies in South Africa: Intellectual Histories & Present Circumstances
Edited by William F. Pinar
Higher Education, Policy, and the Global Competition Phenomenon
Edited by Laura M. Portnoi, Val D. Rust, and Sylvia S. Bagley
The Search for New Governance of Higher Education in Asia
Edited by Ka-Ho Mok
International Students and Global Mobility in Higher Education: National Trends and New
Directions
Edited by Rajika Bhandari and Peggy Blumenthal
Curriculum Studies in Brazil: Intellectual Histories, Present Circumstances
Edited by William F. Pinar
Access, Equity, and Capacity in Asia Pacific Higher Education
Edited by Deane Neubauer and Yoshiro Tanaka
Policy Debates in Comparative, International, and Development Education
Edited by John N. Hawkins and W. James Jacob
Increasing Effectiveness of the Community College Financial Model: A Global Perspective for
the Global Economy
Edited by Stewart E. Sutin, Daniel Derrico, Rosalind Latiner Raby, and Edward J. Valeau
Curriculum Studies in Mexico: Intellectual Histories, Present Circumstances
William F. Pinar
Internationalization of East Asian Higher Education: Globalization’s Impact
John D. Palmer
Taiwan Education at the Crossroad: When Globalization Meets Localization
Chuing Prudence Chou and Gregory Ching
Mobility and Migration in Asian Pacific Higher Education
Edited by Deane E. Neubauer and Kazuo Kuroda
Forthcoming titles:
University Governance and Reform: Policy, Fads, and Experience in International Perspective
Edited by Hans G. Schuetze, William Bruneau, and Garnet Grosjean
Post-Secondary Education and Technology: A Global Perspective on Opportunities and Obstacles
to Development
Edited by Rebecca A. Clothey, Stacy Austin-Li, and John C. Weidman
Taiwan Education at the Crossroad
When Globalization Meets
Localization
AUTHORS
CHUING PRUDENCE CHOU 周祝瑛
GREGORY CHING 莊俊儒
T AIWAN EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROAD.
Copyright © Chuing Prudence Chou, Gregory Ching, 2012.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2012 978-0-230-11089-2
All rights reserved.
First published in 2012 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
in the United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world,
this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-29345-2 ISBN 978-0-230-12014-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230120143
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the
Library of Congress.
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India.
First edition: July 2012
Contents
List of Figures and Tables vii
Preface ix
Series Editors’ Introduction xvii
Acknowledgments xix
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations xxi
1 Globalization Versus Localization: Notion or
Reality in Taiwan? 1
2 Taiwan’s Country Profile 11
3 Historical Overview of Education in Taiwan 21
4 E ast Asian and Taiwan Education in the Context
of Worldwide Education Reform 47
5 The Taiwan Education System 67
6 Course, Curriculum, and Textbooks 89
7 Budget Allocation Features 99
8 Structure of Preschool, Primary, and
Secondary Education 115
9 Higher Education 163
10 New University Funding, Flexible Salaries, and
a Quality Assurance Scheme 183
11 World-Class Research University Project 195
12 Internationalization Efforts of Taiwan’s Higher
Education Institutions 205
vi Contents
13 Globalization and the Issue of Academic Publishing
(the SSCI and the SCI) 221
14 Influx of International Students into Taiwan 243
15 Reform Schemes for Students in Need 257
16 Cross-Strait Relationships between Taiwan and China 263
17 Conclusion 275
Index 289
Figures and Tables
Figures
3.1 The Framework for Education Reform 1996 41
5.1 The Current School System in Taiwan 74
17.1 Blueprint of Future Education Development 282
Tables
7.1 Educational Expenditure per Student in Taiwan 102
8.1 A Sample Grade 6 Class Schedule in Primary School 128
8.2 A Sample Grade 7 Class Schedule in Junior High School 133
8.3 The Typical Senior High School Course and Credit
Distribution Outline 147
8.4 A Sample Grade 10 Class Schedule in Senior High School 149
8.5 A Weekly After-School Schedule of an Average
High School Student 151
8.6 Regional Discrepancies in High School Students’
Performance on PISA 157
9.1 Higher Education Expansion in Taiwan 175
14.1 Reasons for Choosing Taiwan as a Destination (N(cid:2)648) 248
Preface
The Era of Globalization
We, as human beings, are at the crossroad of development. The trend of
globalization has brought us limitless possibilities in terms of communi-
cation and information, and yet globalization has also brought devastat-
ing consequences to humans and nature that at times seem to be out of
control. Wth the arrival of the information era, along with the arrival of
the Internet and many more new technologies, such as the cloud network
and iPads, our education content and teachers are often strained at the
crossroad, confronting the unexpected challenges and struggles that our
students face and also present to us.
What choices and options do we have? What direction should we choose
in order to cope with this overwhelming global phenomenon? Perhaps
we can learn from an ancient Confucian saying: Singing and having fun
with your friends will foster “social trust,” and consequently, this will lead
to social harmony (Bell 2008). But does this belief still hold true in this
highly competitive global era? How can education continue to make a dif-
ference when people are encountering this world of uncertainty?
The intent of this book is to examine the processes of schooling in
Taiwan amid the social, cultural, economic, and political conflicts result-
ing from local and global dilemmas and issues. The book opens with an
introductory chapter detailing recent worldwide phenomena in education,
i.e., globalization and localization, followed by chapters that showcase the
different perspectives on Taiwan’s unique education system. The book’s
underlying thesis is that the mechanisms of both localization and global-
ization have led to the issues and dilemmas that Taiwan’s educational sys-
tem now faces. These phenomena also relate to governance, financing, the
provision of mass education, issues of equitable educational opportunities,
and outcomes for differently situated social groups. They are also defined
as common dilemmas endemic to school environments everywhere, and
represent global challenges of the twenty-first century that have in one way
or another transformed the lives of almost everyone.
x Preface
The education system in Taiwan, similar to other education systems in
East Asia, has undergone an enormous transformation over the last two
decades. Education has become interconnected with trends of globaliza-
tion and internationalization, the development of information commu-
nications technology, and a set of political, sociological, economic, and
managerial changes. These shifts together have produced multifaceted
influences that have an impact on the education system in Taiwan. In
particular, the forces of globalization and localization in recent decades
have acted as the driving policy agendas in Taiwan. The notion of global-
ization encompasses a plethora of meanings. According to Mok and Lee
(2000, 362), globalization is “the processes that are not only confined to
an ever-growing interconnectedness and interdependency among differ-
ent countries in the economic sphere but also to tighter interactions and
interconnections in social, political and cultural realms.” Governments in
Taiwan have endeavored to follow the trend of globalization, especially in
education.
Nations’ moves towards globalization and internationalization have
caused a striking transformation in the character and function of education
not only in East Asian countries but also throughout the world (Burbules
and Torres 2000; Mok and Welch 2003; Mok 2006). In addition, global-
ization processes have increased the broad and steady circulation of indi-
vidual goods and services, and also of people(s) and their cultural norms
and values (Hershock et al. 2007). Similarly, changes in the nation-state’s
international relations coupled with advancements in information technol-
ogy, the expansion of business and commerce, and increasing mobility in
the workplace are undoubtedly placing greater demands on higher educa-
tion (Neubauer 2007). In the last decade, these events have become even
more critical, requiring higher education to respond in an intentional and
comprehensive way (Siaya and Hayward 2003).
Globalization and Internationalization
Since the early 2000s, the term “globalization” has grown in popularity
not only in Europe and North America but in East Asia as well (Teichler
2004). Friedman (2005) mentioned that globalization in our age started
with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the launch of the Worldwide Web
in 1989. Many people have discussed the impact of globalization on the
economic, social, political, and cultural fronts for the past two decades
(Giddens 1990, 1999; Robertson 1995; Sklair 1995). In fact, there is no
generally agreed upon definition of globalization (Mok 2000). It is, rather,
