創校背景
Founding Background

光復前的臺南州立臺南第二中學校
Tainan Prefectural Tainan Second Middle School before Retrocession.

明治二十八年（西元1895年），清日馬關議和，將臺灣割與日本，開始了日本在台半世紀的殖民地統治。在六月初清廷李經方與日本在台第一任總督樺山資紀（海軍大將）於基隆港完成交接典禮之後，過了一個月，即七月十六日，總督府在芝山巖（今士林）創立學堂，開辦日本教育，是日本在臺教育的濫觴。

大正三年（西元1914年），臺中士紳林獻堂等為了臺灣人子弟受教育的問題，發起創立臺中中學運動，由霧峰林家、板橋林家及辜顯榮等二百多位台灣士紳捐資二十四萬八千多圓，向總督府提出申請。

但是日方深怕此一舉動將埋下日後反日思想之根，遂接受這些捐資後，由總督府於翌年二月公佈台灣公立中學官制，在臺中設立「公立臺中中學校」（即今臺中一中前身），接受臺灣人子弟的入學。

In 1914 (the third year of the Taishō era), Lin Hsien-tang, a prominent gentry from Taichung, along with others, initiated a movement to establish the Taichung Middle School to address the issue of educational opportunities for Taiwanese youth. Over 200 Taiwanese gentry, including the Lin family of Wufeng, the Lin family of Banqiao, and Koo Hsien-jung, raised a total of more than 248,000 yen and submitted an application to the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan.

However, the Japanese authorities feared that this initiative might sow the seeds of anti-Japanese sentiment among the Taiwanese in the future. As a result, after accepting the donations, the Governor-General’s Office announced the Regulations for Public Middle Schools in Taiwan in February of the following year and established the “Public Taichung Middle School” in Taichung (the predecessor of today’s Taichung First Senior High School), allowing the enrollment of Taiwanese students.

大正三年，總督府有鑒於臺南府城日本人予弟日漸增多，於是增設總督府臺南中學校（即今臺南二中前身）於臺南公園邊的三分子。

並將國語學校第二附屬學校改為附屬女學校（即今臺北市中山女高之前身），為台胞女子教育之始。

In 1914 (the third year of the Taishō era), in response to the increasing number of Japanese residents in Tainan City, the Governor-General’s Office of Taiwan established the Tainan Middle School (the predecessor of today’s Tainan Second Senior High School) near Tainan Park in the Sanfenzi area.

At the same time, the Second Affiliated School of the National Language School was converted into an affiliated girls’ school (the predecessor of today’s Zhongshan Girls’ High School in Taipei), marking the beginning of formal education for Taiwanese girls.

大正十一年（西元1922年），首任文官總督田健治郎於四月一日頒「新臺灣教育令」，在初等教育方面分二系統：常用日語者（即日本學童）入「小學校」，不常用日語者（即臺灣學童）入「公學校」。在中等教育方面，實行「內臺共學制」，一方面促進內臺融合，一方面可節省費用，並繼續於島內各地設立：

臺南州立臺南第二中學校(即今臺南一中)

臺北州立臺北第二中學校(即今成功高中)

新竹州立新竹中學校(即今新竹高中)

臺中州立臺中第二中學校(即今臺中二中)

高雄州立高雄中學校(即今高雄中學)

◎在新設立五所中學校中，由於當時台中地區原有之台灣人中學：「公立臺中中學校」已改名為臺中州立臺中第一中學校，所以新設的日本人中學校只好屈居為第二中學校，其餘四所新設學校均為臺灣人就讀之中學。

In 1922 (the 11th year of the Taishō era), Kenjiro Den, the first civilian Governor-General of Taiwan, promulgated the New Taiwan Education Ordinance on April 1. Under this ordinance, elementary education was divided into two systems: children who primarily spoke Japanese (Japanese students) attended “Elementary Schools”, while those who did not primarily speak Japanese (Taiwanese students) attended “Public Schools.”

For secondary education, the “Integrated Education System for Japanese and Taiwanese” was implemented to promote the assimilation of Japanese and Taiwanese populations while reducing costs. Under this system, the following schools were established across Taiwan:

• Tainan Prefectural Tainan Second Middle School (now Tainan First Senior High School)

• Taipei Prefectural Taipei Second Middle School (now Chenggong High School)

• Hsinchu Prefectural Hsinchu Middle School (now Hsinchu Senior High School)

• Taichung Prefectural Taichung Second Middle School (now Taichung Second Senior High School)

• Kaohsiung Prefectural Kaohsiung Middle School (now Kaohsiung Senior High School)

◎ Among the five newly established middle schools, there was already a Taiwanese middle school in Taichung, the “Public Taichung Middle School,” which was renamed “Taichung Prefectural Taichung First Middle School.” As a result, the newly established Japanese middle school in Taichung became the “Second Middle School.” In contrast, the other four newly established schools primarily served Taiwanese students.