Total Enrollment in Education (2012-2013) (Ministry of Education)
Education System: Centralized, with the Ministry of Education as the leader. Although the system is categorized as centralized, it is slowly becoming more decentralized. It is more decentralized when compared with its East Asia neighbors.
Higher Education, however, is moving towards corporatization as the Mininstry of Education started allowing universities to have “more flexible organization structures, staff appointments, and working conditions” (Chen, 2012, pg 140).
Cultural and Philosophical Roots
The education system of Taiwan has Confucian roots. Confucian philosophy emphasized the importance of education as a way to achieve social harmony. Every person has the same potential to achieve success, and education is a equalizer that gives people the tools to become successful. Even a person with the poorest background can rise to great height. Education is also a mean to implement the ethical and social norm of a society. Education as a mean to build societal norms can be seen very prominently during Taiwan’s colonial history. (Ho, et. al, 2013, p. 363)
