| Abstract |
This article aims to discuss how the regional education association was established and what kind of activities it developed, and tries to indicate its historical significance during the early period of colonial Taiwan. Before 1895, the regional education associations which are predominantly based on educationists were widespread in Japan. The primary goals were the assistance of educational administration and the fulfillment of educational policies. In Taiwan, however, the regional education associations, established during the early Japanese colonial period（1896-1900）in Tainan, Taipei, Keelung, Taichung, Hsinchu and Taoyuan, were almost founded by local administration in order to conduct the traditional Confucian educational institutions and promote the Japanese colonial education system. Therefore, the members of the regional education associations were mainly Taiwan＇s scholargentry class. Through the associations to communicate with gentry and native teachers, local administration could preach gentry to send their sons to elementary schools and improve the old-style Chinese schools. Briefly, the regional education associations played a vital intermediate role between authorities and intellectuals before 1901. |
