ABSTRACT
Since the pluralistic and open policy was adopted in 1994 in accordance with the Teacher Education Act, teacher education in Taiwan has been transformed from a planned system into a market-oriented model. The market-oriented teacher preparation became the main reform of teacher education policy. The policy enacted a double track, separating teachers preparation with job placements. The universities with teacher education became mainly responsible for preparation and the subsequent practicum stage. The Ministry of Education would verify or hold the qualification reviews for teachers and then local education administrative departments would hold the teachers’ screening tests. Reserve teachers, as long as they completed the tests successfully, could enter the job market and become school teachers. This is the “cultivation and placement separated” system that separates teacher education from placement. Under this teacher education system, prospective teachers would complete teacher education courses as required by the Ministry of Education, obtain eligibility for the preliminary review as soon as they graduated from the teacher education program, and then start the practicum as interns at an elementary or secondary school. The practicum lasted for a year and they would receive allowances from the government on a monthly basis during this period. As long as they had a pass score for the practicum and acquired teacher’s status through the secondary review, they could participate in the teachers’ screening tests to seek eligibility for placement and, accordingly, get a job.
