Reform of Taiwan’s History Curriculum and Contested Historical Perceptions - Focusing on Changes in Junior High School History Textbooks and Partisan Newspaper Discourse -

This study analyzes the reform of Taiwan’s history curriculum and the contentious historical perceptions surrounding it by examining the first reformed junior high school textbook, Understanding Taiwan, the previous textbook History, and the currently used textbook Social Studies. In addition, it reviews editorials from newspapers with strong partisan orientations.<br/> The findings suggest that textbook changes have occurred gradually and with overall consistency. Content related to Taiwan and its indigenous peoples—topics that were largely absent in narratives of Chinese history—began to appear progressively, supplementing previously omitted aspects.<br/> Editorials from the Kuomintang (KMT) camp largely express concern over potential retaliation from China and fear that the value of learning Chinese history may be undermined. In contrast, editorials from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) camp acknowledge the threat posed by China while emphasizing that students must cultivate critical thinking in order to understand the realities of the global era in a balanced manner.<br/> The main reason the textbook reforms became controversial lies in the issue of “de-Sinicization.” However, the reforms argue that one must “know Taiwan better in order to become the master of Taiwan,” framing Taiwan as an immigrant society within maritime powers and positioning indigenous peoples as central historical actors. At the same time, the textbooks devote significant attention to explaining the historical changes Taiwan experienced under Qing rule, Japanese colonial rule, and the governance of the Republic of China. This shows that even when Taiwanese history is distinguished from Chinese history, China remains a significant force that has brought both harm and benefit to Taiwan’s past. In other words, attempts at de-Sinicization may, paradoxically, contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.