410 Education Reform General Parade

Event description

On April 10, 1994, various civil groups, educational institutions, and experts in Taiwan who were concerned about education jointly initiated the "410 Education Reform - Walk for the Next Generation" campaign. The theme was "Let Us Have a Childhood," and the organizing unit for the march was the "Education Reform Task Force." The event took place at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

On the morning of the event, a fair was held, and around 1:00 pm, the march officially commenced. Approximately 5,000 people participated, and the march lasted for about two hours before returning to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. At the event, three large flags were raised with the slogans "Mourn the Coarse and Inexpensive Ideology," "Lament the Examination-Centric Ideology," and "Cry for the Managerial Ideology," highlighting the problems in the education system from university to early childhood education.

The participants presented four major reform demands to the government:

1. Implement small class sizes and small schools,

2. Expand high schools and universities establishments,

3. Promote the modernization of education, and

4. Enact the Basic Act for Education.

This march is considered as the beginning of educational reforms in the 1990s.

However, in reality, this movement was not solely directed at educational policies. It marked the introduction of humanism into the educational sphere after the lifting of martial law. Moreover, it served as a form of resistance and reflection against the prevailing emphasis on academic achievement and authoritarian education during that period.

Outcome

In September 1994, in response to the voices advocating for education reform from civil society, the Executive Yuan established the "Education Reform Review Committee." This committee consisted of 31 members, including experts, scholars, and government officials. It was convened by Li Yuan-che to engage in discussions. The committee presented its "General Advisory Report" in February 1996 and was subsequently dissolved.

In May 1998, the Executive Yuan set up an interdepartmental "Education Reform Promotion Task Force." This task force considered the content of the advisory report and the "Outline of the Overall Plan for Educational Reform" from the Ministry of Education, continuing the implementation of education reform policies.

Participating Organizations