台湾における教科書検定制度の定着をめぐる諸問題

―2000年代の揺り戻しの動きに注目して―

抄録

  Reform of the school textbook editing system in Taiwan (hereby referred to as the “textbook system”) proceeded throughout the 1990s, a period characterized by democratization and liberalization. The direction of the reform involved a transition from the state editing system to the government authorizing system. Shortcomings in the previously monopolized system in 1989 allowed for the step-by-step development of the textbook system over the following decade. A complete government authorizing system was established in 2001 with the implementation of a new set of nine-year integrated curriculum guidelines for Taiwan’s compulsory education system.

  During the decades-long authoritarian period, the government had been notorious for its “uniformization” of education. Because of this, during the period of democratization, the reformation of the textbook system became a top priority in the changing government’s education reforms. The reform of Taiwan’s textbook system reflected society’s demand for the “diversification” of education, thus the system has seen a continuing “swing back” of forces since its establishment.

  The purpose of this study is to discuss the difficulties faced during the consolidation of the new system in the 2000s. This research will contribute three significant points to the field of Comparative Education.

  Firstly, observations by an outsider (such as those presented here) may lead to further the overall objectivity of studies on Taiwan’s educational reform. The first phase of these studies focused on offering a theoretical basis for the on-going educational reform, however upon entering their second phase in around 1994, this focus shifted towards considering the results of the reform. The second purpose of this research is to upgrade the study of politics in relation to educational issues in Taiwan. This topic has been previously studied by Corcuff (2002), Lin (2009), and Yamazaki (2009). Thirdly, this research may widen the range of Comparative Education research. Taiwan is often characterized using such terms as a ‘post-colonial nation’, a ‘divided country’, a ‘newly industrialized economy’, and a ‘newly democratized regime’. The study of the educational system of such a nation may reveal interesting findings in the field of Comparative Education. However, to date, Taiwan’s educational system has not been sufficiently studied by scholars outside of Taiwan. This essay is written with the intent to set the foundation for future studies.

  The first of this paper’s four sections defines the concept of diversification in the context of Taiwan’s educational reform, outlines the process of textbook reform, and describes the main characteristics of the Taiwanese version of a government authorizing system.

  In Taiwan’s rapidly changing society, educational reform and the concept of diversification went hand-in-hand with the concepts of democratization and liberalization, setting the course for educational reform in new era. Diversification of the textbook system started in 1989, when school textbook editing was opened to private publishers (The target of this 1989 reform was limited only to subjects such as ‘music’, ‘arts’, ‘guidance’ and etcetera, which were not covered by the integrated entrance examination for high schools). In accordance with the reform of the national curriculum, the transformation of the textbook system continued throughout the 1990s. The completed government authorization system of textbook editing was formed in 2001, with the implementation of the new curriculum guidelines for compulsory education. Under the new system, private publishers are in charge of editing textbooks, and the National Institute for the Compilation and Translation (NICT) is in charge of textbook authorization. (View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)