中國文化下的教育有其特性並受到國際討論，但是在臺灣深受影響的我們，卻較少深入探討。筆者透過自身研究經驗，以及與一群國內歷史、人類學及教育多個領域的學者共同編寫書籍之過程，反思本土的教育現象，並對其源頭的文化與制度提出一些觀察。本文特別針對實施超過千年而影響至今的科舉制度，提出其具有鼓勵人向上的正向作用，卻也具有對於考試失敗者或非讀書人漠視之嫌。本文並提出科舉制度欲舉德賢者以治國的原始目的，可能已在現代學校課程與考科下變得模糊。在失去目的的考試制度下，我們該何去何從，是個值得思考的問題。

Although education in Chinese culture and its unique characteristics have been discussed internationally, the topic has not received sufficient discussion in Taiwan. The reflections in this article stem from a discussion group that included local scholars of multiple disciplines, including history, anthropology, and education, analyzing current educational problems. This article focuses on the influence of the imperial examination system, which lasted over a thousand years-from ancient China to 1905. Both the positive outcomes, such as producing upward social mobility, and the negative consequences, such as the effect of failing examinations, are addressed. The goal of selecting virtuous scholars to become government officers through the imperial examination system was well established in the past, but such goals are no longer supported by the current school curriculum and content of the examination. It is suggested that the educational reform should acknowledge the problems and difficulties associated with such disorientation and invest efforts in figuring out the new directions for education.