education

For Taiwan teen novelist English is an art, not a tool

Taiwanese author Hermione Lee
Culture 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

“The path to success is paved with adversities, but that’s what makes it so special,” says seventeen-year-old Taiwanese author Hermione Lee. Lee’s first novel, In the Name of the Otherworld, was released by World Castle Publishing on September 21st. It is a recipient of the Literary Titan Silver Book Award, which, according to Literary Titan, is “bestowed on books that expertly deliver complex characters, intricate worlds, and thought provoking themes”. In the Name of the Otherworld hit #1 on New

Read more

Economics professor takes to Twitch to lecture 54 students, gains an audience of 17,000

Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

As teachers from elementary school up turned to online media platforms to reach their students after classes were suspended this week, a professor of economics chose to deliver a lecture for his 54 students yesterday, May 19, and inadvertently managed to gain an audience of 17,000. The sudden announcement of school closures, and a switch to online classes starting with the Greater Taipei Region, Monday, and extended nationwide, Tuesday, left many teachers a little confused as to what platform to

Read more

High School Invokes Nazi Imagery for Fun: A Blight on the Education System

Culture 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

An article on China Times said it was another example of the failure of Taiwan’s education system when it comes to teaching history. Students at a private high school in Hsinchu County decided to celebrate Christmas by dressing up as Nazi SS officers while waving Nazi flags and holding up Swastika banners. The Presidential Palace ordered the school to issue an apology. The school issued the apology, and said that the students were only representing “a historical character set” (perhaps

Read more

Transport Ministry Urges Education Department to Add Road Safety to Curriculum

children learn road safety at a school in Taiwan
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

Transport Minister Ho Chen-tan (賀陳旦) is urging the Department of Education to dedicate 6 hours per semester to road safety in elementary and high-schools, and 2 course credits at tertiary level. The education minister, however, has said that the curriculum is already full. Education Minister Pan Wen-zhong (潘文忠) said we shouldn’t add to students’ existing study load. The transport minister countered that it is important to inculcate a safety consciousness in people at an early age. He pointed out that

Read more