The Nationalist government, taking over Taiwan after the Second World War, believed that Taiwanese were so profoundly affected by the “toxic Japanese heritage” that people despised their ancestral land and lacked a national identity, which caused the 228 Incident. To “rectify deviations and restore norms”, revamping schools became one of the educational goals after the 228 Incident. Meanwhile, as student movements in Mainland China continued to spread out, the government instructed relevant agencies to be vigilant and demanded that schools increase their monitoring of student activities.

As schools in Taiwan started to return to normal, many student movements gradually escalated, protesting against issues such as high tuition fees, low-quality school meals and the Chinese civil war. In March 1949, triggered by an event in which two students were arrested for riding on the same bicycle, the April 6 Incident erupted. This event significantly damaged the once-free and open campus atmosphere.

After the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) regime, having learned from its defeat by the communists in the Chinese civil war, strengthened its anti-communist infiltration campaign and surveillance on campuses. Various systems, such as the Educated Youth Corps, the Educated Youth Branch of the KMT party, and the China Youth Corps kept monitoring and controlling schools in addition to thwarting communist infiltration. Campuses became even more oppressive and restrictive.

During the martial law period after 1949, Sinocentrism and party-state patriotism were held as the guiding principles of Taiwan's education system. Mandarin was designated as the sole language of instruction, and Chinese history and culture, as well as the Three Principles of the People and Sun Yat-sen’s teachings, were taught in schools. Any student caught speaking local languages on campus was forced to hang placards around their necks or pay fines as a form of punishment, which significantly suppressed Taiwan's local culture.