TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tsinghua University Honorary Professor Lee Chia-tung (李家同) has called for attention to be paid to the fundamentals of math education, noting that mathematical ability among college students is falling short of expectations due to a problematic education system.
He did so when responding to news that the Tsai administration is spending out on a space program costing NT$25.1 billion (US$832 million). Lee believes the money would be better spent on education.
“Some students erase the fundamentals of math from their memory once they’ve started college,” Lee said an engineering professor once complained to him. Some students haven’t the faintest idea about the Pythagorean theorem, he added.
Lee also said a tech CEO told him the company engineers had no clue how trigonometric functions work, a basic math skill they should have learned in junior high school.
Lee pointed out that many teachers in Taiwan overlooked the basics of math to pass extremely difficult math tests, per UDN.
The same goes for other academic subjects. Lee noted that many Taiwanese students were not familiar with basic English grammar.
Disregard for teaching the fundamentals is widespread in Taiwan, according to Lee. He also lashed out at the education system’s inability to provide a well-rounded education, claiming education emphasizes academic achievement over physical training.
“There is a shortage of swimming pools and gyms in schools for young people to get exercise,” said Lee. “The government has funding, but it’s unwilling to allocate resources to the fundamental level.”
He said that all this proves that the most fundamental levels of education are often neglected by the government. “It’s not that the government has no money,” said Lee, citing the example of the Hsinchu government’s recent expenditure of US$30 million (NT$1.2 billion) to refurbish a baseball field.
Taiwan is often envious of advanced technological developments in other parts of the world. Lee said many Taiwanese want to know why the nation cannot make a moon landing.
What people fail to see are the fundamentals laid down step by step by these other countries, he said. In this case, engineers with a well-rounded grasp of fundamental physics, chemistry, and math are key to tech advancement.
“Looking for success on a shaky foundation will only lead to poor results,” said Lee. Taiwan should start by building a robust educational foundation.
