Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the 10th HERA Conference in Taipei. The 10th HERA Conference, held on June 5-6, 2024, at National Chengchi University in Taipei, focused on the theme “From Competition to Collaboration in Higher Education.” This event brought together scholars, researchers, and educators to discuss and explore collaborative approaches in the evolving landscape of higher education (HERA, 2024). At the event, besides meeting a student who uses our free Instagram learning materials, I also had the pleasure of listening to keynote speakers discuss neoliberalism. But what exactly is neoliberalism? And what are its effects on Taiwan? Let’s explore these topics.
近日，我有幸到臺北參加了在國立政治大學舉辦的第十屆HERA會議。在這為期兩日（2024年6月5日－6日）的會議裡，主題是「從競爭到合作的高等教育」。本次活動匯集了各方學者、研究員與教育工作者，在高等教育不斷變化的態勢中共同討論、探索合作的方法。除了在會議現場認識了一位使用我們IG免費教材的同學外，我還有幸聆聽了主講人談及新自由主義（neoliberalism）。但什麼是新自由主義？它對臺灣有什麼影響？底下，我們就來探討這些話題吧！
Neoliberalism is characterized by market-driven policies, privatization, and reduced state intervention, extending economic values into all social spheres and transforming individuals into market-oriented subjects. In the education sector, this ideology promotes efficiency, accountability, and competition through mechanisms such as standardized testing, performance-based funding, and privatization (Brown, 2015).
新自由主義的特點在於市場主導的政策、私有化以及降低國家干預，將經濟價值延伸到所有的社會領域，並將個體轉變為市場導向的主體。在教育領域裡，此一意識形態透過標準化的考核、績效掛帥的資助與私有化等機制，提升效率、問責（accountability）與競爭（Brown，2015）。
Taiwan’s education system has increasingly adopted neoliberal policies, influenced by global trends toward marketization and international competitiveness. This kind of policies have reshaped the governance and operation of educational institutions, emphasizing outcomes, efficiency, and market readiness (Ball, 2012). One significant aspect of this shift is the privatization and marketization of education. Neoliberal policies have encouraged the growth of private schools and universities as alternatives to public institutions, fostering competition and striving to enhance quality through market mechanisms (Larner, 2000). This move aligns with the broader neoliberal agenda of reducing state control and increasing private sector participation.
受市場化與國際競爭力等全球趨勢的影響，臺灣的教育體系愈發採納新自由主義政策。這種政策重塑了教育機構的治理與運作模式，強調成果、效率與市場準備（Ball，2012）。此一轉變的一個重要面向，是教育的私有化與市場化。新自由主義政策鼓勵私校與私立大學作為國立學校的替代選項，促進競爭，並透過市場機制努力提升教育品質（Larner，2000）。此一舉措與廣義的新自由主義進程——降低國家控制、增加私營部門的參與——一致。
In addition to privatization, Taiwan has adopted standardized testing and performance-based assessments to evaluate students and teachers. Such measures are intended to ensure accountability and align educational outcomes with market demands, reflecting global neoliberal trends (Webb, Sellar, & Gulson, 2020). Standardized testing serves as a tool for measuring and comparing performance, thereby promoting a culture of accountability and competition among schools and educators.
除了私有化，臺灣還採用了標準化的測驗與績效掛帥的評量方式，來評價學生與教師。這一類措施旨在確保問責機制，並使教育成果與市場需求保持一致，反映了全球的新自由主義趨勢（Webb, Sellar, & Gulson, 2020）。標準化的測驗是衡量並比較績效的工具，從而在學校與教育工作者中，形塑問責機制與競爭文化。
Furthermore, the emphasis on performance metrics can increase pressure on teachers and students, potentially leading to stress and burnout. This shift redefines educators’ roles from facilitators of learning to managers of performance, aligning their work more closely with market principles and less with educational ideals (Webb, Sellar, & Gulson, 2020). In this context, the holistic development of students may be compromised as schools prioritize measurable achievements over comprehensive educational experiences.
此外，過分以績效為指標，可能會增加學生與教師的壓力，從而導致倦怠。教育工作者本該是促進學習的人，但此一轉變卻使他們淪為績效的管理者，讓他們的工作更接近市場原則，而非教育理念（Webb, Sellar, & Gulson, 2020）。在這種情況下，學校以可量化的成就為首要考量，學生的全人發展或將受到影響。
In short, neoliberalism has significantly influenced Taiwan’s education system by promoting market-oriented reforms. While these changes aim to enhance efficiency and competitiveness, they pose challenges related to equity, quality, and the holistic development of students. The adoption of neoliberal policies in Taiwan reflects a global trend that reshapes education to align more closely with market demands, often at the expense of broader educational goals and social equity.
總之，新自由主義以市場為導向的改革，對臺灣的教育體系產生了重大的影響。雖然這些改變旨在提高效率與競爭力，但也為公平、品質與學生的全人發展帶來了挑戰。臺灣採用新自由主義政策反映了一種全球趨勢，而這種趨勢使教育成為市場需求的禁臠，往往以犧牲更廣泛的教育目標與社會公平為代價。
In your opinion, how does neoliberalism affect education as a whole in Taiwan? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Who benefit from it and who lose from it? How do we push back against it? What are the forces behind neoliberalism and do you think it applies to the context of Taiwan? Maybe what is shaping Taiwan’s education policy is not entirely caused by neoliberalism but something else. If so, what else? These are some questions for you to think about. As usual, the point of our articles here are not about what’s right or wrong, what’s good or bad, but information to provide you with the insights you need to stay informed and make critical decisions.
你們覺得，新自由主義對臺灣的整體教育有何影響？它的優點是否超過了缺點？誰是最大的受益者？對誰的負面影響最大？我們該如何回應這樣的困境？有哪些力量隱藏在新自由主義的背後？你覺得它適合臺灣嗎？也許影響臺灣教育政策的因素還有很多。如果是這樣，還有哪些因素呢？這些都是供你們思考的問題。一如既往，我們貼文的重點不是對或錯、好或壞，而是希望能夠成為各位的源頭活水，讓大家在充分掌握各式資訊的情況下，做出明智的決定。
References
Ball, S. J. (2012). Global Education Inc.: New Policy Networks and the Neo-liberal Imaginary. Routledge.
Brown, W. (2015). Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution. Zone Books.
Larner, W. (2000). Neo-liberalism: Policy, Ideology, Governmentality. Studies in Political Economy, 63, 5-25.
Webb, P. T., Sellar, S., & Gulson, K. N. (2020). Anticipating education: governing habits, memories and policy-futures. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(3), 284-297.