Education in Taiwan

The educational system in Taiwan is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The system produces pupils with some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in mathematics and science.^[2][3] Former president Ma Ying-jeou announced in January 2011 that the government would begin the phased implementation of a twelve-year compulsory education program by 2014.^[4]

In 2015, Taiwanese students achieved one of the world's best results in mathematics, science and literacy, as tested by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a worldwide evaluation of 15-year-old school pupils' scholastic performance. Taiwan is one of the top-performing OECD countries in reading literacy, mathematics and sciences with the average student scoring 523.7, compared with the OECD average of 493, placing it seventh in the world and has one of the world's most highly educated labor forces among OECD countries.^[5][6][7] Although current law mandates only nine years of schooling, 95 percent junior high school students go on to a senior vocational high school, trade school, junior college, or university.^[8][9]

In Taiwan, adhering to the Confucian paradigm for education where parents believe that receiving a good education is a very high priority for Taiwanese families and an important goal in their children's life.^[10] Many parents in Taiwan believe that effort and persistence matters more than innate ability if their children want to receive better grades in school.^[11][12] These beliefs are shared by the teachers and guidance counselors and the schools as they regularly keep the parents abreast on their child's overall academic performance in the school. Many parents have high expectations for their children, emphasize academic achievement and actively intervene in their children's academic progress by making sure that their children receive top grades and would go on to great sacrifices including borrowing money to put their child through university.

Due to its role in promoting Taiwan's economic development, high test results, and high university entrance rate, Taiwan's education system has been praised. 45 percent of Taiwanese aged 25 to 64 hold a bachelor's degree or higher.^[13][14] Furthermore, the education system has been criticized for its overemphasis on rote memorization and excessive academic pressure it places on students. Students in Taiwan are faced with immense pressure to succeed academically from their parents, teachers, peers, and society in order to secure prestigious white collar job positions while eschewing vocational education, critical thinking, and creativity. With a narrow bandwidth of prestigious job positions and a far greater number of university graduates seeking them, many have been employed in lesser positions with salaries far below their expectations.^[15] Taiwan's universities have also been criticized for not keeping up with the technological trends and employment demands in its fast moving job market referring to a skills mismatch cited by a number of self assessed and overeducated university graduates.^[16] In addition, the Taiwanese government has been criticized for undermining the economy as it has been unable to create enough jobs to support the demands of the numerous unemployed university graduates.^[17][18]