Free 's institutions for the training of teachers are run not by private bodies but by the Central Government or the Provincial Government. There are separate institutions for the training of elementary school teachers and high school teachers. However, practice varies in regard to the training of nursery school teachers. Institutions pertaining to this category may be independent or affiliated to teachers' colleges or normal schools.
Training of Elementary School Teachers
Normal schools which have been established for training elementary school teachers admit students who have finished their junior high school education. The entrants have to pass a highly competitive examination, both written and oral, in addition to the certificate submitted for consideration in regard to health, personality and character. No student is to be admitted if be does not have the specified minimum qualifications. The duration of the training is only three years, which can hardly be considered long enough. There is a growing general opinion in educational circles that normal schools should be changed into junior colleges so that they may admit senior high school graduates and offer them a two-year course of study.
The curriculum for normal schools is pre-scribed by the Ministry of Education. The required subjects Include civics, "Three Peoples' Principles", Chinese, Chinese history, world history, Chinese geography, world geography, biology, physics, chemistry, music, art, manual training, physical education, introduction to education (including professional organizations of teachers), psychology (including child psychology and educational psychology), measurement and statistics, methods of teaching fundamental subjects (including the study of the subject matter), teaching practice, social education, school administration, and history of education. A number of electives are available in order that students may choose those subjects which will have a bearing on their future profession. Practical teaching forms an essential part of the syllabus with observation and participation in the second year and practice teaching in the third year. No student will be awarded a teacher's diploma unless he has shown his competence in teaching and in a comprehensive written examination held at the end of the course of training. The examination is, as a rule, controlled by the provincial Department of Education, which is in charge of the school system of the whole province.
Training of High School Teachers
High school teachers are trained by teachers’ colleges, which are preferably independent but may be subordinate to a Government university. A teachers' college generally has the following departments-education, Chinese, English, history and geography, natural history, mathematics, physics and chemistry, art, music, physical education, and home economics. According to the present regulations governing the establishment of a teachers' college, there may be a department to give special training to graduates of universities and polytechnic institutes to prepare them for a teaching career, High school graduates who have passed a competitive entrance examination are admitted to a teachers' college. Qualified elementary school teachers who have taught three years with an excellent record of service may also sit for the examination. In both cases, certificates- should be presented in regard to health, personality and character. No student will be allowed to enter a teachers' college if he does not have the specified minimum qualifications, A four-year academic course of study is prescribed by the Ministry of Education, Students must pass the final examination at the end of the course of training and show a satisfactory record of teaching in high school in the fifth year before they are awarded the bachelor's degree in education and certified as qualified teachers by the Ministry of Education. Practical teaching is assigned in the syllabus in the fourth year. It may also begin in the third year with a view to allotting more time in the final year for school practice.
The required subjects for all departments of a teachers' college are "Three People's Principles", ethics, Chinese, English, Chinese history, Chinese geography, natural science (physics, biology, chemistry, psychology, or geology) or mathematics, philosophy or logic, fundamental principles of education (including professional organizations of teachers), in the first year; Chinese, world history, social science (political science, economics, or sociology), educational psychology, principles of secondary education, general methods of teaching, in the second year; special methods of teaching in the related field (including the study of the subject matter) in the third year and the fourth year; and teaching practice in the fourth year.
It is obvious that much emphasis is laid on general education in the first two years. However, the whole course of training puts no less stress on professional education and related subjects in the teaching field.
Training of Teachers for Adult Education
Adult education in Free China has two main functions. One is the stamping out of illiteracy, and the other is the ·further education of the people especially for the promotion of national consciousness, cultivation of the democratic spirit, and furtherance of cooperation between the armed forces and the people in the cause of anti-Communism. Besides libraries, museums, art galleries, public playgrounds, theatrical and. artistic associations, and committees for the promotion of the national language, there are continuation classes attached to elementary schools for the benefit of the underprivileged adults. The period of education is from four to six months for the junior continuation classes, and from six months to one year for the senior continuation classes. Before the removal of the Central Government to , several institutions, both provincial and national, were established to train workers of social education who might teach adults at the same time. The course of training included such professional subjects as principles of social education, organization and administration of social education, adult psychology, comparative adult education, methods of teaching adults, and field work. On the other hand, as the continuation classes are an integral part of an elementary school, the elementary school teachers have the obligation to teach not only children but adults as well. Consequently a comprehensive course in social education is prescribed in the curriculum for a normal school.
Audio-Visual Aids in Teaching
As a result of the improvements in methods of teaching made in recent years, audio-visual aids are now extensively used for social education and school education. Exhibits, models, maps, lantern slides, film strips, recordings, radios, and moving pictures are employed in learning situations to attain the objectives of the course of study and the curriculum. Suggestions are given for applying the audio-visual aids in various fields such as languages, social science, natural science, industrial arts, home economics, art, music, physical education, and vocational subjects. Teachers in training are also taught how to handle the sensory aids and how to make teacher-pupil-created materials.
Employment of Trained Teachers and In-service Training
In spite of the regulations governing the employment of teachers, there are still not enough trained teachers for elementary and high schools. The main reasons for the shortage are as follows: (1) during the Japanese occupation most of the teachers on this island were Japanese; and (2) after the retrocession of the island to there has been an enormous expansion of schools particularly on the secondary level. To meet the urgent need of qualified teachers, the provincial Department of Education has set up a number of emergency training classes attached to normal schools to admit senior high school graduates for one year's training. Readjustment of the training program of the has been made so as to turn our more graduates each year. Good teachers are retained either by increasing their salary or by granting special award of recognition.
In-service training is mainly given in two ways. First, the provincial Department of Education opens a summer school every year for elementary and secondary school teachers. Second, the normal schools and the arc authorized to supervise elementary schools and secondary schools respectively. The supervisory activities of these institutions are of the nature of extension service and are deemed very fruitful.
Exchange of Materials and Personnel
At present only the of has initiated a project in cooperation with Pennsylvania State College of the for the promotion of industrial vocational education on this island. Materials and personnel are being exchanged between these two educational institutions. In this connection, a word may be said about the Educational Materials Centre which will soon be established by the Ministry of Education with the assistance of FOA in . The functions of this Centre shall be: (1) collection of textbooks for elementary and high schools, courses of study, educational publications including books on education, magazines, periodicals, and books for children; (2) collection of audio-visual materials including films, film strips and records; (3) exhibition of such educational materials, and (4) consultations and conferences.
It seems to us that it will be desirable for UNESCO or WCOTP (World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession) to have a division as a resource centre to work out lists of available materials for exchange and to send such lists from time to time to educational institutions in various countries. It is also expected that UNESCO, if not WCOTP, will take the initiative in making arrangements for better exchange of personnel, both students and teachers. Finally, we are of the opinion that it will be desirable to have an International Centre for Education for International Understanding in all educational institutions for the training of teachers. This International Centre may also help to promote the exchange of materials and personnel.