Capabilities and Social Justice through Technical and Vocational Education in Taiwan: Goals, Achievements and Future Challenges

• In Event: Community colleges, TVET institutions, and global counterparts: challenges towards sustainability for vocationally oriented jobs

Proposal

Taiwan is often held by scholars to be successful and they attribute the economic advantage and the rising prosperity of Taiwan to its system of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) (Chen & Shih, 1989; Yuen, 1993), which provides sufficient human capital for this economic prosperity (International Affairs Office, 2016). The distinctive features of Taiwan’s education system include the parallel trajectories of general education and TVET (International Affairs Office, 2016), a strong link between academic research and industry (Wu & Liu, 2014), and the whole-person education ideology (Wu, 2012; Yuan, 2005).
Purpose
By examining the special features of Taiwan’s parallel higher education and TVET system, this paper explores how this system can contribute to capabilities cultivation and social justice in Taiwan. The paper also examines Taiwan’s educational practices and ideology in TVET, through which the sustainable development of life-long experience is enhanced. In addition, career pathways are also examined by looking at the relationship between educational institutions and industry.
Framework
The paper employs the capabilities approach to examine TVET in Taiwan. The capabilities approach was first developed by the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen (1999) and the philosopher Martha Nussbaum (2000). We are using the capabilities approach to examine the broad knowledge, skills and attributes of vocational education students for further career development (Wheelahan, 2015). Besides practical technical skills, vocational education students also need comprehensive capabilities to be good citizens in their communities and societies for future life flourishing (Wheelahan & Moodie, 2016).
Methods
This study is part of a larger research project commissioned by Education International to explore the role of TVET in providing a social justice response to issues of educational access in various jurisdictions. The research comprised analysis of published statistics, systematic review of previous literature, and empirical data including survey and interview. An online survey was conducted to collect the perceptions of Taiwanese students, teachers, staff, managers, as well as union and government officials. The study also utilized semi-structured interviews with 20 faculty members from five TVET institutions in three cities in Taiwan, Taipei, Taichung, and Hsinchu.
Results
The findings suggest that the promise of a whole-person, research-focused, yet career-centered TVET in Taiwan remains a strong, inspiring, and shared goals for students and teachers alike. However, the system is not without its flaws and whether it delivers what it promises is contested by some. In addition, Taiwan’s TVET faces new challenges, in this case a surplus of graduates with high-level credentials, prompting policy shifts that may threaten TVET’s ability to fulfill its promises.
Significance
Taiwan’s whole-person education, its close link with industry, and its emphasis on innovation and research can be understood through the framework of the capabilities approach in which TVET helps to shape individuals for sustainable development, personal life flourishing, and increased autonomy in the future (Nussbaum, 2000). Taiwan’s model has implications for other countries as their policy-makers and educators consider the potential benefits of adopting elements of the Taiwanese parallel and whole-person oriented higher education system to their colleges and universities.

References
Chen, G-C., & Shih, M. (1989, December). Vocational education at the crossroads. The case of Taiwan. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Vocational Education and Training Association. Orlando, FL. (ERIC Reproduction Service No. ED 316 652)
International Affairs Office, NTUT. (2016). TVE Education in Taiwan Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLNMvthbzZk
Nussbaum, MC 2000, Women and human development: the capabilities approach (kindle book), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Sen, Amartya. (1999). Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.
Wheelahan, Leesa (2015). ‘Not just skills: what a focus on knowledge means for vocational education’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 47:6, 750-762.
Wheelahan, L., & Moodie, G. (2016). Global Trends in TVET: a framework for social justice. Brussels: Education International. http://download.ei-ie.org/Docs/WebDepot/GlobalTrendsinTVET.pdf
Wu, C. (2012). Reflection on Taiwan’s Technical and Vocational Education Whole Person Education, Pragmatic and Practical. Education and Teaching Forum Retrieved from http://www.qikan.com/article/892D6212-60AA-4C3D-833C-9BAB7059E732
Wu, R. & Liu, B. (2014). The Advantages of Taiwan’s Technical and Vocational Education that Mainland China can learn from. China Youth Retrieved from http://edu.people.com.cn/n/2014/1215/c1053-26206242.html
Yuan, Y. (2005). Why Taiwan’s Technical and Vocational Education so Successful? China’s Education Retrieved from http://www.jyb.cn/china/gat/201508/t20150819_634246.html
Yuen, S. C. (1993). Vocational education and training plays an important role in Taiwan’s economic miracle Retrieved from http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/docview/62803766?accountid=14771

Author

• Leping Mou, OISE, University of Toronto