Taiwan's new 12-year national fundamental education system will not stifle students' competitive drive but turn them into a force of vitality for Taiwan, said Premier Sean Chen today at an Executive Yuan conference.
Set for a 2014 launch, the new system will phase out high school entrance examinations and allow students to complete up to 12 years of education tuition free. Its objectives are to motivate learning, improve student competencies, and allow them to be schooled in a manner suited to their needs.
This reform has been long in the works, said Premier Chen, and while the Ministry of Education (MOE) has drafted strong plans, the ministry must also work with local governments to assuage public concerns about how admissions are conducted. Each of the nation's 15 admissions zones have completed simulated runs of exam-free admission into senior high and senior vocational schools, with care taken to avoid the "random draw" option if at all possible.
The premier emphasized that the new 12-year system is moving in the right direction, therefore the admissions mechanism should elicit support rather than doubt from the public. He also suggested that the MOE implement complementary measures such as offering guidance counseling, raising academic standards of senior high and senior vocational schools, ensuring fair distribution of educational resources, and improving overall curricula and teaching methods.
At today's conference, the MOE also proposed changes to plans on admitting students into special fields and increasing citizens' competitiveness. All proposals were approved. The MOE will revise plan contents and submit them with the new 12-year plan to the Executive Yuan for approval.