Developing indigenous education in Taiwan : indigenous perspectives and possibilities

Abstract

Since 1987, Taiwan embarked on reforming its legislation, policy framework, and curriculum to democratize the country and its education. Important changes in the education system addressed the issues of ethno-cultural diversity and academic challenges faced by its Indigenous population. Prior studies on Taiwan’s education identified various reasons to explain Indigenous students’ low academic achievements and high drop-out rates. They include cultural difference, parents’ lack of involvement, schools’ racial blindness, Chinese-centric content, and devaluation of Indigenous identities and cultures. As solutions, they discussed the need for increased affirmative action, culturally-sensitive curriculum with more Indigenous content, and centres for Indigenous ‘autonomous conservation’. Yet, no comprehensive empirical studies of Indigenous people’s views on education have been done. This study addressed this gap. The objectives of this research were to (1) examine how the education system challenges or enables Indigenous communities in achieving social justice; (2) explore educational alternatives Taiwan’s Indigenes envision to meet their needs for justice; and (3) evaluate how Taiwan’s legislation, regulations, and political and social climate challenge or support these alternatives. The study relied on twenty-four in-depth semi-structured and unstructured interviews with Indigenous professors, leaders, and educators with extensive experience in Indigenous rights, affairs, and education working across Taiwan. It also used Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the country’s laws and regulations. The findings were analyzed through the lens of social justice informed primarily by its distributive, epistemic, and relational dimensions. This research found that education often does not help Indigenous communities to meet their needs for successful learning, safe environments free from racism, linguistic and cultural revitalization, and recovery from the traumas caused by colonialism. The key issues identified were the educational system’s assimilative and oppressive nature, inadequate content, absence of Indigenous knowledge, norms, and languages, poorly prepared teachers, and lack of Indigenous control. The study presented alternatives that can address those needs. They are transformation of the existing structure and content (Indigenization of education) and development of a new education system grounded in Indigenous knowledges, values, norms, identities, cultures, languages, and other aspects of Indigenous being (a parallel system). The research showed that Taiwan’s legal, social, and political systems can challenge design and implementation of these alternatives. Principal challenges include lack of political will, limited financial and other support from the government and the society, and lack of understanding of Indigenous struggles and their causes. The challenges stem from the colonized mind of the dominant group and the Indigenes that prioritize and rely on dominant structures, knowledge, values, norms, and references manifested in Taiwan’s laws and standards (e.g., the Constitution) as well as textbooks and curriculum. This research provides new insights into what political, social, historical, and legal forces challenge Taiwan’s Indigenous education. It also extends understanding of what could be done to systematically and holistically transform education to meet Indigenous needs. As such, it has significant implications for the development of a just and relevant Indigenous education in Taiwan and beyond.