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
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 ...
What is the ranking of Taiwan education system in the world? ›
Taiwan ranked joint-third on the top performing countries for education, with an overall score of 533. This breaks down to 547 for maths, 515 for reading, and 537 for science. The region was third in maths, fifth in reading and fourth in science. In Taiwan, education has high priority among families.
How many hours are in a school day 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.
Which country has the longest school hours in the world? ›
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.
Is Taiwan's education system good? ›
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.
What country is #1 in education? ›
1- South Korea
South Korea stands out as the most educated country globally, with a literacy rate of 97.9% in 2024. Its high percentage of higher education graduates among OECD countries was reached in 2022 when approximately 70% of the population between the ages of 25 and 34 had completed their college education.
Which country has the best education system in the world? ›
1. United States of America. The United States has the best education system in the world. A significant number of international students, totalling 1,057,000, have been enrolled in universities in the USA last year.
How long is high school in Taiwan? ›
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 ...
What time is high school in Taiwan? ›
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.
How many hours do Taiwanese work? ›
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.
Israel is the only country in the developed world where children go to school six days a week.
What country has the shortest summer break? ›
South Korea is often cited as having one of the longest school years and the shortest summer vacation among countries worldwide.
Is Taiwan good at math? ›
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan placed third in the world in math, according to an international assessment test given to 15-year-old high school students across 81 countries.
Is public school free in Taiwan? ›
Thailand has public, private, and international schools. Government schools are free and compulsory for nine years. Preschool is optional, although many Thai children attend kindergarten.
Is it safe to study in Taiwan now? ›
Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world, so you can definitely survive here. The education here prepares you plenty of knowledge with technological equipment and professional instructors. Also, this country is very clean, you will hardly find some trash on the ground.
What is the rank of Taiwan in IQ? ›
Download Table Data
| Country | IQ (Lynn/Becker) | PISA 2022 Overall Score |
|---|
| Taiwan | 106.47 | 1599 |
| Singapore | 105.89 | 1679 |
| Hong Kong | 105.37 | 1560 |
| China | 104.1 | 1605 |
36 more rowsLondon, Feb. 15 (CNA) Taiwan remains top in Asia and 10th globally among the 167 countries and territories ranked in the Democracy Index 2023 released on Thursday by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
What level of school is Taiwan? ›
Education System in Taiwan
| Primary | Elementary | 7–12 |
|---|
| Middle | Junior High School | 13–15 |
| Secondary | Senior High School | 16–18 |
| Post-secondary | Junior College | 16–18 |
| Tertiary | Bachelor | |
2 more rowsToday, all students in Taiwan complete 12 years of primary and secondary education. The share of students who continue to postsecondary education is also very high, at over 80 percent.
