Translated and compiled by Yuan-ling Liang
On March 7, Wang Hao-yu, a young councilor of Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, posted on his Facebook page saying that teenagers in Taiwan spend the longest time at school in the world, which is “abnormal.” The average high school hours in Taiwan is 9.5 hours, starting from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., which is even longer than general working hours.
Wang lists the school hours of several countries in his post. In Germany, Japan, Mexico and Canada, the average is six hours; while in the US, UK and Australia it is 6.5 hours. In Argentina, the average is only four hours. Similar cases to Taiwan include South Korea and China with averages of eight and nine hours respectively.
Wang also says that this phenomenon needs reformation because “if students are used to excessive learning hours, in the future, they probably would not dare stand up against their bosses when asked to work overtime.”
Wang’s post has raised discussion. Most people support him, while some do not agree, saying that such pressure is necessary for students.
Netizens comment on “inefficient” arrangements at school
A netizen submitted a post on PTT, a non-profit platform in Taiwan that allows netizens to criticize social issues freely. In the post, the author mentions the unnecessary time arrangement at school.
To maintain public sanitary, Taiwanese students are usually asked to clean the school in the morning and afternoon, which, according to the author, is time wasting. Also, the weekly ceremony is depicted as an “inefficient” procedure that could be carried out by broadcast.
Extra courses after school are also brought up and the author thinks they are very overwhelming and even break regulations. The extra classes are originally set up as ”tutoring hours,” which is optional. However, in many high schools, the curriculum uses them as “general school hours” for teaching schedules; therefore, they become non-optional.
The post has received more than 3,000 views. Generally, posts that receive more than 1,000 views are considered popular articles.
A reliable or abnormal system?
Another post on Dcard, a social network platform allowing only Taiwanese college students to interact on, also shares Wang’s opinion. Many students say that they are “disappointed” and “sad” to have been born in such a country, and some of them even start to delve into the cause of such a system.
A Taiwanese student studying at LaSalle University recalls his experience in Taiwan before going to the US. He compares the grading system in the two countries, noticing that Taiwanese teachers focus mainly on students’ performance on exams while American teachers disperse by various factors, such as attendance and learning attitude, upon grading.
However, a student says there are still advantages of this education strategy, especially for students who do not know how to improve their studying. “By simply following this arrangement, I could achieve certain grades easily,” he writes.
Edited by Olivia Yang
Sources:
Liberty Times
PTT
Dcard
FAQs
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.
How many hours is high school in Taiwan? ›
Taiwanese students typically adhere to a rigorous academic schedule. On average, students in primary and secondary education spend about 9 to 10 hours at school each day, with a typical school day starting around 7:30 am and concluding at 5 pm. The worrisome aspect? This duration only includes regular class hours!
Why does Taiwan have the longest school hours? ›
Taiwan leads with the longest school day globally, clocking in at 10 hours. This extensive timeframe is indicative of the country's rigorous academic culture. Following closely is China, with students dedicating about 9 hours and 30 minutes to school each day.
Is Taiwan education system good? ›
Taiwanese students, as a whole, were above average for the OECD. Likewise, Taiwan's schools educate a larger proportion of students to at least basic competency in reading, mathematics, and science, and educate a larger percentage of students to the top-measured performance levels of the exam.
Which is the top 1 educated country in the world? ›
1. South Korea. South Korea distinguishes itself as the preeminent hub of global education, flaunting an astounding tertiary education rate of 69.29%. Imbued with a profound reverence for education within its societal fabric, South Korea has charted extraordinary strides in the cultivation of a well-informed populace.
What country has the best educational system in the world? ›
- United States of America. The United States has the best education system in the world. ...
- United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is known for its outstanding education system, attracting many international students annually. ...
- Germany. ...
- Canada. ...
- France. ...
- Japan. ...
- Switzerland. ...
- Australia.
What are the standard working hours in Taiwan (China)? The standard working hours in Taiwan are 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.
How is high school in Taiwan? ›
Senior high school lasts for 3 years during which the goal of students is to aspire to enter university. Discipline is in the hands of military officers and incidents of misbehaviour are rare. There is often a choice between science and liberal arts programs.
How many days a week do kids go to school in Taiwan? ›
The school year starts in February. Kids go to school 240 days a year. Kids go to school six days a week, Monday through Saturday. They go to school half a day on Wednesday and Saturday.
Does China have school 7 days a week? ›
Children attend school five days a week. The school hours depend on the grade and the area, but, usually, kids start their days at 7:30 or 8:00 and finish at about 17:00. The school year in China typically starts in September and ends in late June or July.
In Taiwan's current education system, students may study for up to 20 years, which includes six years of primary school education, three years of junior high school education, three years of senior high school education, four years of bachelor education, one to four years for a master's degree, and two to seven years ...
Does China have school 6 days a week? ›
Chinese students attend classes five or six days a week from the early morning (about 7 am) to early evening (4 pm or later). On Saturdays, many schools hold required morning classes in science and math. Many students also attend 補習班 (buxiban), or cram school, in the evening and on weekends.
How long is school in Taiwan a day? ›
Educational system
Students begin school around 7:30 am and finish at around 5:30 pm. Attending cram schools after school until 9:30 pm is common. These are specialized schools that prepare students for high school and university entrance exams.
Does Taiwan have homework? ›
Taiwanese children spend seven times the hours on homework that American students do - and more than twice as much time as youngsters in Japan, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Is public school in Taiwan free? ›
Taiwan is moving toward an entrance exam-free, tuition-free education model for senior high schools. On April 24 this year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced formal plans to extend universal education in Taiwan from nine to 12 years.
What is the rank of Taiwan in the world population? ›
According to February 2022 statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, the population of Taiwan was 23,319,776, 99.6% of whom live on the island of Taiwan. The remaining 0.4% live on offshore islands (Penghu, Lanyu, Green, Kinmen, and Matsu). Taiwan is ranked the 57th most populous nation in the world.
What is the #1 university in Taiwan? ›
1. National Taiwan University (NTU)
How is Taiwan's education system? ›
In Taiwan's current education system, students may study for up to 20 years, which includes six years of primary school education, three years of junior high school education, three years of senior high school education, four years of bachelor education, one to four years for a master's degree, and two to seven years ...
