Teachers in Taiwan call for return to Chinese culture

TAIPEI, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Several teachers in Taiwan have expressed concerns about education policies aimed at removing Chinese cultural elements from the curriculum and textbooks, calling for immediate efforts to awaken the “Chinese soul” in the hearts of Taiwan people, especially the youth.
The curriculum guidelines introduced in 2019 have faced heavy criticism from Taiwan’s academic community, said Wu Kun-tsai, a professor at the Department of Applied History, Chiayi University, during a seminar on Saturday, coinciding with Confucius’ birthday and Teachers’ Day in Taiwan.
This set of curriculum guidelines is the culmination of education policies implemented since the 1990s, aimed at removing Chinese cultural elements and severing historical ties with the mainland, Wu noted.
Ou Gui-zhi, a teacher at Taipei First Girls High School, echoed similar criticism while sharing her experiences from over 30 years of teaching.
“I entered the education field in 1993, just as Taiwan began its education reform. Initially, I was optimistic and thought I could still control how textbooks were interpreted. Little did I know it marked the beginning of a nightmare,” Ou said.
“The required readings of classical Chinese literature were reduced from 60 to 45, then to 30, and now only 15 remain, with the number of classes cut to just four per week,” she said, citing the curriculum for the Chinese language subject she teaches.
This curriculum deliberately undermines students’ identification with being Chinese and severs their emotional connection with their mainland compatriots, Ou said.
The “nightmare” extended beyond the classroom. Being distanced from Chinese classics, younger generations have lost the moral compass that once guided and supported their ancestors, she noted.
“It’s clear that no one is born supporting Taiwan independence, it is an ideology deliberately cultivated,” Wu said, adding that while this ideology is nurtured by certain politicians for their own purposes, it is not unchangeable.
Wu noted that in recent years, he has encouraged several students to visit the mainland and was surprised by the changes in their perspectives.
“Before their visits, these students referred to the other side of the Taiwan Strait as ‘China.’ However, upon returning, they started using the term ‘the mainland’ and inquired about more exchange projects to the mainland,” he said. “So, I am not pessimistic about the future. In fact, I am hopeful.”
Since the Democratic Progressive Party authorities are unlikely to change their education policies, efforts from the grassroots are imperative to establish a historical perspective based on Chinese identity and to restore education of traditional culture, Ou said.
“Politicians come and go, ideologies change, but the wisdom passed down from our ancestors over thousands of years will never fade,” Ou said. “I have confidence.” ■