2. What is Taiwan Educational system?
Taiwan currently implements a nine-year compulsory
education system, which includes six years of
elementary school and three years of junior high
school. Following the compulsory education is three-
years of senior high school that will then lead to four
years in university or college.
4. Elementary schools span grades 1 to 6, classes are held from
Monday to Friday, typically from 7:30 AM to 4PM
Subjects include:
•Mandarin: The official language of instruction.
•Mathematics: Mathematics education begins with the basics
and reaches introductory algebra and geometry by the 6th
grade.
•Science: Comprehensive science classes covering basic
biology, physics, and chemistry.
•English: English is a compulsory subject within the mainstream
school system from Grade 3 Elementary School and up.
•Native languages: Additional language classes in Taiwanese
and Hakka are offered.
Elementary Schools in Taiwan
5. 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 5PM, students often
stay in school till as late as 8 or 9PM for "extra classes"
Junior high school in Taiwan
6. Senior high school in Taiwan
Senior high school spans grades 10 through 12,
again the main 4 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.
7. Vocational schools in Taiwan
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.
8. Higher educations in Taiwan
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 an
admission criterion to the prestigious institutions.
9. Taiwan has many universities, both public and
private. Tuition is less expensive in public than in
private universities. Many public universities have
financial support from the government for research
purposes.
In terms of public resources and expenses for
higher education, both used to be incentives for
students when they are choosing between public
and private universities after their high school
education.
University in Taiwan