Over a dozen civic groups are calling for a reform on the educational system, which they think puts too much emphasis on exam skills rather than on learning itself. Many parents of teenage students believe that the extension of compulsory eduction to 12 years would be the key to a solution.

One wrong answer on the high school entrance examination could mean that a student doesn't get into his or her top choice high school.

According to experts, Taiwan's education system overly emphasizes exams, and students only study subjects that appear on entrance exams.

The entrance exam system has become obsolete in most nations, and only 3% of South Korean students, most of whom excel in math or science, enter high school through exams.

In contrast, the fates of more than 500,000 junior high school students in Taiwan, or 50% of total students, depend on how well they do on entrance exams.

Parents' groups say that Taiwan's educational resources increase every year while the number of students decrease, but the quality of education has not improved at all.

According to the groups, the only way to completely overhaul the current system is implementing a 12-year compulsory education system.

They are therefore calling for an implementation timetable to be passed at the 8th National Education Conference, which opens on the 28th.

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