Before the 1970s, Taiwan was an agricultural society, and the following decade saw the island develop into a manufacturing powerhouse. During this period, economic output was largely dependent on manpower. In the 1990s the country became a computer and precision manufacturing hub. Technology- and capital-intensive industries became the main drivers of national output.
Society also changed. The traditional extended family was replaced by the nuclear family and the number of children per mother fell drastically. The combined economic and social changes have had serious effects on the country’s economic development.
During the boom period high schools and vocational schools expanded rapidly, but the subsequent rapid decline in the birth rate meant fewer children at schools of all levels. The number of classes continues to fall, and more schools will be forced to close down in coming years. The acceptance rate for colleges and universities has exceeded 100 percent due to a large increase of schools, leaving education quality control a serious issue and damaging the value and credibility of certificates students spend years to earn.
In Taiwan, it has always been the case that high school education is valued over vocational training. Whereas vocational school diplomas promise lower-pay jobs, regular high school means an opportunity to university education that is seen as the ticket to a well-paid job. The competition for high school and university places is therefore intense. But the structural problem of college graduates unable to meet industry demands gets worse by the day, a waste of educational and human resources.
Vocational school and colleges source most of their intake from junior high schools, but the teachers there typically know too little about technical education to provide students with objective information or guidance. Without proper channel for vocational schools to promote their programs, neither parents nor students are informed about the options.
There are also major problems within vocational schools. There is a huge discrepancy between the skills taught and those demanded by employers. The schools have inflexible curriculums and academic regimes, outdated facilities and no way of keeping up with technological advances. On top of this, the academic staff of technical schools and colleges do not liaise with the business world.
The schools also lack the professional technical aspect that would earn them the respect of students and the general public. Graduates of vocational schools often want to continue in further education, devoting less effort to developing practical skills.
Parents have high expectations for their children, overemphasizing scholastic achievement and neglecting practical skills. Their children tend to be overly protected, unable to cope with stress, and lack an active and cooperative attitude, reducing their workplace adaptability and competitiveness.
An integrated approach to solving these problems and reviving vocational education is required. Attitudes toward employment and university must be changed. Everyone has his or her own strengths and weakness and any profession can lead to success. Education should aim at cultivating students’ strengths, and schools should develop different educational features so that students possessing various talents can find a learning environment that suits them.
The increasing gap between facilities used by the business world and those in academic institutions must be closed. Teaching students the latest techniques will also reduce the training period firms require, benefiting both sides.
Increase the involvement of business personnel in technical school teaching can effectively introduce the latest business techniques and give students an early introduction to the workplace ethos, besides boosting the specialized knowledge of technical school teachers.
Vocational schools, technology universities and industry must join forces to devise educational programs catered to practical needs. A major adjustment in courses to bring school curriculums fully in line with employers’ demands, along with help from industry in improving school facilities, would be a step in the right direction to reviving the reputation of Taiwan’s vocational schooling.
(This commentary first appeared in the China Times, June 2, 2013)