Taiwan’s Taipei City bagged a perfect score of 100 in the education category of the 2020 livability survey by London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, according to the Department of Education under Taipei City Government Sept. 5.
Excelling in indicators including availability and quality of education, Taipei ranks on par with global metropolises London, New York, Paris and Sydney, as well as neighboring cities Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo, while beating out Beijing, 83.3, and Shanghai, 75.
According to city officials, the top marks can be attributed to the department’s tireless efforts to promote bilingual, experimental, international and smart education. To this end, Taipei has established seven experimental and 89 bilingual public elementary and junior high schools to date, with plans to establish six-year experimental public high schools also in the works.
With support from the department, high schools citywide offer a range of international programs including those issuing dual diplomas from Taiwan and abroad, officials said, adding that students can also opt to study overseas during summer and winter breaks through the International Foundation Studies initiative.
Demonstrating its commitment to fostering a state-of-the-art learning environment, the local government has earmarked NT$1.6 billion (US$50 million) since 2018 for establishing digital learning platforms and enhancing smart teaching methods and campus facilities, officials said.
Local authorities will continue promoting information and communication technology in the classroom while bolstering innovative developments in the field of education to enhance the city’s global competitiveness, the department said.
The EIU assesses living conditions in 140 cities worldwide in its annual livability survey, scoring each location based on 30 indicators spanning the categories of culture and environment, education, healthcare, infrastructure and stability. (YCH-E)
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