辛跑客

(Chinese Version)

其實我已經打了好幾篇有關教育的草稿，但一直無法發布，因為對教育的想法實在是太多，到底要如何簡單的呈現出來，困擾了我很久，最後決定從我自己的經歷開始說起吧，讓我描述給你聽國外與台灣的教育方式到底差在哪裡，到底台灣教育如何抹殺我們每個人的潛力、資質，好讓老百姓不要有夢想，乖乖地待在社會的底端。

如果正在閱讀的你，覺得台灣教育創造出奧林匹克數理檢定優質生很厲害，那我希望你能思考一下，這些優質生對社會有甚麼實質的影響、貢獻？反觀創造出Facebook的Mark Zuckerberg、創造出每支手機的核心Linux的Linus Torvalds、蘋果的創辦人Steve Jobs、或你現在每天一定都在用的電腦的發明家Charles Babbage、甚至連Youtube的創辦人之一陳士駿都是在美國接受那邊的教育長大的，而我們台灣(以及中國)的教育培養出的優質生到底創造了甚麼，2000年前的蔡倫造紙嗎？

從天這麼黑，風這麼大，一直到唧唧復唧唧，木蘭到底乾我屁事，我也經歷過了國中那段假日自習、晚自習、基本學力測驗，也順利的秉持著不唸和尚學校的心情，考上了松山，緊接著的也是晚自習、補習、也差點踏上指考這段路，在出國12年後，我記得我國中老師曾問過我：「如果再給我一次選擇的機會，我會不會選擇同樣的路？」

出國的第一年，我上了國外的同於高三的課程，每學期只用選5個科目：數學、英文、其他三科任選 (我記得有會計，IT，商管，物理、化學等等)，不僅如此，每門科目還都非常簡單，所有公式都不用背，我當時甚至對於我那外國同學拿計算機算8乘以12感到訝異，認為國外原來都不用唸書的，我便以優越的心情開心的過完了這一年半，也信心滿滿的上了世界前100的大學。

大學第一年，我每天走在那如詩如畫的校園，上著每個禮拜只有20小時的課，正得意的覺得台灣幫我打的基礎實在太強、人生太美好之時，我拿著第一份的工程作業，題目就像是「請做出一個小的自動門」，我當時就傻傻地盯著這道題目盯了幾個禮拜，但秉持著台灣好學生的心情，我毅然決然地去問了教授跟助教該怎麼做，他們只告訴我一句話「You tell me (你告訴我)」，而之前提到的那些連九九乘法表都沒背熟的外國人呢？這時你就會發現他們各個身懷絕技，有的電腦超強，有的焊線超強，當講到他們喜歡的領域時，那種熱枕，我這才了解到，原來大家都把時間花在了自己真正愛、真正有熱枕的事情上，而我呢？

為了考試被迫學了一堆無關緊要的"知識"，如果現在在職場的你，肯定能夠深刻感受到，你以前花了滿滿12年學過的化學式 PV = nRT 、花了一堆時間去背的三角函數 cos3θ 、跟1642年荷蘭人佔台、中國哪裡盛產小麥，滿滿12年埋頭苦讀的東西，到底多少你現在還有用到的，甚至這些是不是都讓你厭惡過唸書學習，到底為什麼我們還要用一樣的考試制度、一樣的教育制度來浪費小孩寶貴的人生呢？

就這樣，在每個作業都有幾百種答案，你愛怎麼做就怎麼做的教育環境下，我在電機系85分畢業了。你問我學了甚麼，我學了好多，我學會如何給觀眾一個好的演講、如何畫插畫、如何剪接影片、如何做糖醋排骨、如何辦活動、如何接待賓客、如何用程式將繁瑣的東西自動化、如何跳舞衝浪、如何與人交流。我學會了，原來學自己想學的東西有多快樂、多簡單，原來這才是教育，這才是自由，那說是進步的台灣為什麼要用毒藥塞滿青青學子呢？

如果你說；「小孩怎麼會知道他們喜歡甚麼，想學甚麼？」，那你不讓他們去試他們怎麼會知道呢？有多少人到了大學也還是不知道自己喜歡甚麼的，甚至畢了業，也還是沒頭緒的，為什麼國外教育從小就鼓勵大家去嘗試各種不同的事物，找尋自己有熱忱的東西，起碼每天都想去做，起碼工作是開心的，自然成功就隨之而來，而為什麼台灣就要鋪好一條最痛苦最無趣的路讓所有人都跳進去呢？在台灣，每個人的所擁有那最吸引人的individuality(個人特質)，你還找的到嗎？

(待續....)

(English Version)

In the past few weeks, I’ve written so many drafts about the current education system in Taiwan. However, because my thoughts and opinions were so scattered and there is so much that I want to talk about, I couldn’t seem to figure out the best way to present them. So today, I decided that I am going to start off by talking about my personal experience as a student in both Taiwan and Australia.

If you are a Taiwanese and you believe in the education in Taiwan because you’ve seen the Taiwanese youngsters winning trophies from the International Mathematical Olympiad, let me ask you a few questions. First, have these ‘smart’ students really contributed anything to the society? Second, looking at the inventor of our computers, Charles Babbage, the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, and the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds, why are they all westerners? Even one of the co-founders of Youtube, Steve Chen, despite being a Taiwanese, went to the high school and university in the United States. If our education system in Taiwan isn’t so bad, then why is it so hard to nominate someone who is really successful and has a significant contribution to our society? What have we educated our kids for all these years?

I spent the first 15 years of my life in Taiwan. In each semester I had to take on 9 to 10 compulsory subjects and I went to the weekday and weekend after-school study sessions. Every day I studied. Did any of us have any choice? Nope.

When I was 15, I had a chance to go overseas. Without a doubt, I did, simply because I thought I could escape from all these and enjoy life. Few months after I arrived in Australia, I started my Foundation Year (equiv. to Year 12). I was so surprised and happy that I only had to take 5 courses and they were so much more fun and easy. I felt superior. I thought the Taiwan education system really gave me a good foundation and knowledge that I can easily finish my course here in Australia.

However, my first year in the university was when things didn’t go as planned. In spite of having so few classes and subjects as compared to Taiwan university students, our assignments were so much harder and open. I remember the first assignment was something like “Build an automatic door.” I was shocked. I thought I was given all the knowledge in Taiwan but none of it was important. I remember looking at the local students tackling the problem with passion while I stood there with no idea. I didn’t know how to think. I didn’t learn the important skills that genuinely matter in this world. Over those 15 years, what did I really learn?

Slowly, 4 years passed. I graduated with high distinction and first-class honours. Now if you asked me what I've learned? I can tell you that I learned the most important skills in life. I learned to communicate, to present myself, to teach myself, to analyse problems and to think independently. I was given so much freedom that I realized I could choose my own path and draw my own stories in life. Finally, I understood why westerners seemed happier. They were educated and encouraged to create and to be free. How about Taiwan?

Dear Taiwan, there is so much information and knowledge in this world. Why do you want to feed all that information into our students? Isn’t that the computer’s job? Isn’t individuality the most important property of a human being? Why are you killing it?

(To be continued …)