Examination Yuan President Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) is seeking to reform the selection process of civil servants and meet the requirements of the government’s “Bilingual 2030” plan.
Huang, a native of Changhua County, served as minister of education from 2002 to 2004 and started his four-year term at the Examination Yuan in September 2020. He was president of Taichung-based China Medical University and is a professor emeritus at the National Taiwan University.
Huang said that modernizing the selection process, striving for internationalization and implementing the bilingual policy are key themes at the agency.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The civil service examinations are based on a system in place during imperial dynasties in China. It was implemented in the nation after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War.
The Examination Yuan is the primary authority to “recruit the best talent to work for government ministries and agencies,” Huang said in an interview.
It organizes written exams and validates the qualifications of applicants, he said.
Photo: CNA
It also evaluates civil servants employed in all government agencies, and oversees their pay grades, promotions, transfers and retirement, including the dedicated pension fund, he said.
Implementing the bilingual policy, which was outlined by the National Development Council and seeks to raise the English-language proficiency of Taiwanese people, is a challenge for his agency, Huang said.
Measures implemented to reach the goal include raising the proportion of English-language-related content in exams, such as introducing English speaking and listening comprehension questions in tests for roles that might require such skills, Huang said.
With better English skills, Taiwanese civil servants can link up with the world, he added.
The content was updated for roles in consular and diplomatic affairs, overseas offices, customs agencies, international trade, and the Tourism Bureau, as well as specialized technical jobs, such as air traffic controllers at airports under the Civil Aviation Administration, immigration personnel and foreign affairs police officers, he said.
The oral test was added after the Examination Yuan found that many high-scoring candidates in the past had poor English speaking and listening comprehension skills, he said.
Taiwan’s education system mainly focuses on rote memorization needed in written exams, but little on the practical use of English, which is needed in many government roles.
The Examination Yuan has also launched the “Learning to Learn” program, a collaboration with foreign diplomatic offices, he said.
Examination Yuan Secretary-General Jason Liu (劉建忻) said the program aims to provide guidance and resources that can help create English-language “immersive environments for civil servants in their jobs and daily life,” as well as promote life-long learning of foreign languages and culture.
The program caters to senior civil servants whose roles require interaction with the international community, Liu said.
“We have ongoing collaboration with foreign representatives and trade offices in Taiwan. Their officials work with our government agencies, assisting them in creating the immersive environments needed,” Liu said.
The program involves diplomats and officials from the US, Australia, the UK and other states that have representative offices in Taiwan, Liu said.
The foreign officials create the materials for the program, “which are about more than just English-language proficiency, but also getting to know the politics, history, culture and economic development of these countries,” he said, adding that the program seeks to enhance Taiwanese officials’ international connections and broaden their view on the world.
The program also addresses problems exacerbated by Taiwan’s aging population and low birthrate, Huang said, urging a proactive approach to attract talent.
The government should loosen restrictions on recruiting foreign professionals from outside the public sector who have specialized skills and work experience needed in government roles, he said.
Citing the Nationality Act (國籍法), he said that foreigners, as well as Taiwanese holding another nationality, cannot enter the civil service.
The law prohibits the recruitment of people who might have “patriotic allegiance to another country,” Huang said.
However, the situation is changing gradually, Huang said, citing foreign professionals hired for civil service-adjacent roles on time contracts.
Huang said that the Examination Yuan must implement changes to ensure that it retains its access to the nation’s talent pool, which is “getting smaller due to an aging society and lower birthrate.”
Meanwhile, the share of young people who are planning to apply for government jobs is also declining, as the private sector pays higher wages, Huang said, citing survey data.
Last year, 210,599 people registered for exams at the Examination Yuan, about 57,000, or 20 percent, fewer than five years ago, he said, adding that the passing rate has remained stable at about 8 to 9 percent.
The agency is working toward overcoming the trend, he said, urging young people to sign up for the exams, because “in their future jobs as public servants, they will make public policies and other decisions that affect society, leading our nation forward.”
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