In his article “Good education, made in Taiwan” (July 9, page 8), Bill Costello suggests ways that the US could learn from Taiwan’s educational system. Costello raised some excellent points, but I would caution against the suggestion that Taiwan serve as a model for education in the US.
Costello notes that Taiwanese students do well in math and science, but what about other crucial subjects?
Taiwanese students do well where rote learning is involved, but their independent thought and critical thinking skills leave much to be desired.
Ask a child to add numbers or repeat information and you’ll be amazed at their performance. But ask that same child to form an opinion or draw a conclusion about something and you’re likely to be met with a blank stare.
Students are taught to regurgitate information and are not encouraged to ask questions or apply logic to deduce things for themselves. Tests do not challenge their capacity for creative thinking, but rather check what they have memorized.
Costello suggests the US serve more nutritious lunches, keep students more active and use hands-on interdisciplinary learning. These are all great suggestions, but he also says the US should adopt the practice in Taiwan of requiring public school students to wear uniforms.
Making students don uniforms fits in with the simple input-output instruction employed at Taiwanese schools. Although Costello doesn’t mention it, each student is assigned a number. Students don’t have their names stitched onto their uniforms but their numbers.
This has the effect of discouraging individuality and independent thought. If this is our goal, school uniforms are a superb idea. But if that’s not what we’re shooting for, it is difficult to imagine what benefit uniforms could possibly bring.
Costello writes: “Studies show that school uniforms raise academic performance, while lowering violence, theft and the negative effects of peer pressure.”
I’m skeptical of this claim. What studies is he referring to and what methodology did they employ? How did they eliminate the countless variables that affect academic performance?
The suggestion that putting your son or daughter in a uniform increases his or her chances of performing well at school is ridiculous.
Likewise, we should not think students’ misbehavior is the result of allowing them to choose their own attire.
As for peer pressure, this is part and parcel of the experience of growing and learning, and prepares children for the “real world.”
Costello suggests Taiwanese students are taught more personal responsibility than their US counterparts, citing as evidence the daily cleaning ritual at schools. The question is whether they practice “personal responsibility” outside that ritual.
Students in my new classes have tended to be so messy that I had to clean up the classroom after every lesson. But my students were not incurable. I instilled a sense of responsibility in them not through a cleaning “ritual,” but by asking mess students questions such as how they would feel if the student who used their desk before them had left used tissues in it.
I explained the importance of respecting our shared space and each other. I discussed how our actions affect others, challenged students to think of examples and demonstrated the practicality of applying the golden rule in their daily lives.
When you speak to children as equals, allow them to express themselves, foster their curiosity, promote critical thinking and seek their opinions, the results are truly rewarding.
The effects of doing the opposite are less than desirable.
I agree with Costello that US schools need improvement and Taiwanese schools perform better in some respects. However, Taiwan’s educational system is in dire need of attention before we start touting it as a model for others.
Jeremy R. Hammond has taught English as a second language in Taiwan for seven years.
After nine days of holidays for the Lunar New Year, government agencies and companies are to reopen for operations today, including the Legislative Yuan. Many civic groups are expected to submit their recall petitions this week, aimed at removing many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers from their seats. Since December last year, the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) passed three controversial bills to paralyze the Constitutional Court, alter budgetary allocations and make recalling elected officials more difficult by raising the threshold. The amendments aroused public concern and discontent, sparking calls to recall KMT legislators. After KMT and TPP legislators again
Taiwan faces complex challenges like other Asia-Pacific nations, including demographic decline, income inequality and climate change. In fact, its challenges might be even more pressing. The nation struggles with rising income inequality, declining birthrates and soaring housing costs while simultaneously navigating intensifying global competition among major powers. To remain competitive in the global talent market, Taiwan has been working to create a more welcoming environment and legal framework for foreign professionals. One of the most significant steps in this direction was the enactment of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) in 2018. Subsequent amendments in
US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed orders to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China effective from today. Trump decided to slap 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as well as 10 percent on those coming from China, but would only impose a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products, including oil and electricity. Canada and Mexico on Sunday quickly responded with retaliatory tariffs against the US, while countermeasures from China are expected soon. Nevertheless, Trump announced yesterday to delay tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month and said he would hold further talks with
Taiwan’s undersea cables connecting it to the world were allegedly severed several times by a Chinese ship registered under a flag of convenience. As the vessel sailed, it used several different automatic identification systems (AIS) to create fake routes. That type of “shadow fleet” and “gray zone” tactics could create a security crisis in Taiwan and warrants response measures. The concept of a shadow fleet originates from the research of Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. The phenomenon was initiated by authoritarian countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia, which have been hit by international economic
RSS