From compulsory basic education to mass higher education: Higher education policy and development in Taiwan from 1950-1997

Educational development in Taiwan has achieved great success in the last five decades. Its economic achievement in the international market speaks for itself. Taiwan government has adopted a bottom to up education policy since the 1950s by implementing a nine-year compulsory basic education policy. This paved way for its subsequent expansion in higher education in the 70s - 90s, leading to mass higher education. Higher education policy in Taiwan is closely linked to economic needs of Taiwan at different periods of national development. The educational and economic successes of Taiwan reflect the successful application of Human Capital Theory, which aims to foster economic growth by investing into human capital, as a means to improve the quality of required manpower.