Bill Outlawing English for Children Under 6

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

tw.nextmedia.com/rnews/article/S … 101/page/2

未滿6歲兒童 禁上美語班
2011年11月01日14:06 蘋果即時

教育部部務會報通過《補習及進修教育法》修正草案，其中明定短期補習班不得招收未滿6歲的兒童，草案將提送行政院通過和立院三讀。短期補習班包括文理補習班和生活技藝補習班，舉凡來說兒童美語、作文、圍棋、珠算等，都在禁止的範圍內，但有益於身體律動或藝術的繪畫、音樂、舞蹈等，報經直轄市、縣（市）主管機關核准者，不在此限。

教育部表示，此舉是為了確保兒童身心發展健全。修法通過後將有2年緩衝期，若業者不配合，將開罰5-25萬元。

Google Translation:

Children under 6 years old U.S. ban on language classes
At 14:06 on November 1, 2011 apples immediately

Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance will be reported through the “catch and Continuing Education Law” draft amendment, which stipulates that no short-term cram schools to recruit children under the age of 6 years, the draft will be submitted by the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan, the third reading. Short tutorial including liberal arts and life skills tutorial cram anything, including for children’s language, writing, chess, abacus, etc., are prohibited within the body but good for rhythm or the art of painting, music, dance, etc., reported to the municipality, county (city) competent authority, unless.

Ministry of Education, said the move is to ensure healthy physical and mental development of children. By amending the law will have 2 years grace period, if the industry does not match, will open fine 5-25 million.

Basically, this is a total ban, including Taiwanese English teacher, from teaching children under 6. This still has to pass the Legislative Yuan so stay tuned.

2

More political insanity and total ignorance of the language acquisition skills of young children. They seem to think that language acquisition is a zero-sum game. It’s not.

3

Yes, and what will all the five and unders to while mom and dad are at work? They aren’t even allowed to study chess or the abacus, neve rmind English. Really utter nonsense. You have to break a law now if you want to offer any sort of an educational experience to your small child? There won’t be enough Amahs left to take up all the slack if they close down the Kindies.

4

My thoughts exactly!

I suppose they could go to Kindies where they run around, make things and learn through play, but that would be a waste of their precious formative years. If they’re old enough to open a book then they’re old enough to study it, in my opinion. This law will be the end of Taiwan’s great research-driven economy!

5

My thoughts exactly!
This law will be the end of Taiwan’s great research-driven economy![/quote]

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Sometimes, my own sense of humor or irony doesn’t go over on this board well, that that was hillarius!

6

So let’s see what they’ve managed to do so far…

Kindergartens can teach foreign languages i.e. English as long as its taught by a less accurate, less qualified non native English speaker, and Bushibans now can’t teach younger children abacus, English and composition.

I must say this is all a real shame for education, that it’s ever more limited. I have always found it objectionable that my son, who’s father is a native English speaker, has been restricted to learning English from a young age to an international school. The government has so far been unwilling to supplement his tuition fees, and yet still maintains the audacity in demanding the same level of income tax. Well I’ve had another idea about that.

Ho hum…I guess its all in the grand scheme of dumbing down the greater masses, which seems to have been the greatest commonality amongst governments these days. My old woman cringes more than usual these days when she hears and reads the Chinese of the younguns.

7

Actually, it’s already against MOE policy to formally teach any English in kindergarten, no matter who is teaching it. We get the handout every semester at my kids’ PTA meetings.

8

Actually, it’s already against MOE policy to formally teach any English in kindergarten, no matter who is teaching it. We get the handout every semester at my kids’ PTA meetings.[/quote]

Yes but thats just wrong to stop all those nice expats teaching Kindy English, they need jobs too you know. And who cares if a kid learns to say a word in English before they have learn’t it in their own language first.

9

If they really cared about young children and language acquisition, they would do precisely what they are doing – forbid the TEACHING of English to children under 6 – but allow immersion without homework or any kind of literacy other than reading books to the kids (“story time”). That would actually help something. Just have three hours a day when the kids play standard age-level-appropriate stuff with native English speakers, no pressure, no phonics, no writing, no homework.

Of course, that would require them having teachers that actually were fluent, which means those darn foreigners would be hanging out with the kids all the time, and who knows what that could engender. I mean, some of them are actually Canadians! :astonished: And it would require them recognizing that they need to think about what “teaching” is and what the results are.

10

Yes. Exactly. Who DOES care? Someone paranoid that his/her child might grow to have more knowledge than he/she? Come on! Language growth and development is BRAIN growth and development. It’s foundational knowledge that a child can use to make other learning easier, faster, more fruitful. But Taiwanese educatiors are only afraid that a child will be able to point out all the mistakes the English teacher made when writing the exam!

11

[quote=“ironlady”]If they really cared about young children and language acquisition, they would do precisely what they are doing – forbid the TEACHING of English to children under 6 – but allow immersion without homework or any kind of literacy other than reading books to the kids (“story time”). That would actually help something. Just have three hours a day when the kids play standard age-level-appropriate stuff with native English speakers, no pressure, no phonics, no writing, no homework.

Of course, that would require them having teachers that actually were fluent, which means those darn foreigners would be hanging out with the kids all the time, and who knows what that could engender. I mean, some of them are actually Canadians! :astonished: And it would require them recognizing that they need to think about what “teaching” is and what the results are.[/quote]
QFT

12

Indeed. It’s only harmful if you’re doing it wrong.

I wonder whether the MOE know this, but have realised that there is no way of changing the mind-set of most kindy owners and parents. Therefore the only solution is to ban the lot.

In my, very limited, experience of working in a kindy I can tell you that the level of insanity I experienced was beyond belief. Teaching English grammar in Chinese to 4 year olds. Phonetic alphabet symbols. Rote memorisation and drilling. The list is endless. Everything is wrong.

13

There doing this again, oh wait, there is an election coming up next year.
They specifically said that when I got my license years ago, no teaching English to kids under 6. The wording made it pretty clear. They don’t care about the subject-be it Art, Music, whatever…as long as your using English for the purpose of your lesson…
“Oh I can tell them that the book is in Chinese and Blah blah blah”
Were they born yesterday? HF
The only gray area right now is that it’s not at the federal level, every province has that rule now but it’s not national. They always try to push it through close to an election and there is always some technicality that gets it put back in the pile.
This isn’t about pedagogy nor mastering a second language.
Yes, I know about all that guanxi BS and please don’t remind me. It’s nothing new.
They aren’t bitching about English for kids, they are just riling up Nationalism before the election, stepping up inspections and raids, kicking out foreigners to prop up the stats. Everything will go back to being the same after that. So people, that school you work at that has more than 2 big noses on paper or a rather large kindy with an an chin ban expect a ‘friendly’ visit over the next few months.
Don’t get so f’n excited! This happens every few years!
Those of you in kindies, you think you are invincible, you aren’t. You think because you have a APRC/JFRV and can work there, you can’t! You can get around the work permit thing but then they will turn around and nail you for tax, pension, health insurance, lack of a kindy teaching license and the list goes on.
Remember, there is no black and white here, just a nice haze of gray that is open to everybody’s interpretation as per the ten sets of laws controlling every policy.
Guess who interprets the rules? Can you guess? Can you? Can you?
Also related…
There was timely article in the paper a few days ago reminding people about being on the watch for those dirty outsiders always breaking the law. If they report a foreigner working illegally(and they get caught) they get $20000 per lao wai! Can you imagine if you cruised around the kindies in your area how much cash some pissed off quasi chicom peanut head motherland lover could make?
You think this is linked.
I feel like Jesse Ventura from that stupid “Conspiracy Theory” show.
Just like every election, keep your guard up, keep the profile down.

14

I have a JFRV and an open work permit. I teach English in a MOE funded public KINDERGARTEN. The MOE pays my salary and this year the MOE gave me a gift for Teachers’ Day.
I’m teaching 3 year olds… will the MOE give themselves a fine??

15

[quote=“sleepingtiger”]I have a JFRV and an open work permit. I teach English in a MOE funded public KINDERGARTEN. The MOE pays my salary and this year the MOE gave me a gift for Teachers’ Day.
I’m teaching 3 year olds… will the MOE give themselves a fine??[/quote]

This bill 1) is geared toward secondary educational institutions (i.e. buxibans) and 2) has not been passed by the Legislative Yuan yet.

16

[quote=“baberenglish”]There doing this again, oh wait, there is an election coming up next year.
They specifically said that when I got my license years ago, no teaching English to kids under 6. The wording made it pretty clear. They don’t care about the subject-be it Art, Music, whatever…as long as your using English for the purpose of your lesson…
“Oh I can tell them that the book is in Chinese and Blah blah blah”
Were they born yesterday? HF
The only gray area right now is that it’s not at the federal level, every province has that rule now but it’s not national. They always try to push it through close to an election and there is always some technicality that gets it put back in the pile.
This isn’t about pedagogy nor mastering a second language.
Yes, I know about all that guanxi BS and please don’t remind me. It’s nothing new.
They aren’t bitching about English for kids, they are just riling up Nationalism before the election, stepping up inspections and raids, kicking out foreigners to prop up the stats. Everything will go back to being the same after that. So people, that school you work at that has more than 2 big noses on paper or a rather large kindy with an an chin ban expect a ‘friendly’ visit over the next few months.
Don’t get so f’n excited! This happens every few years!
Those of you in kindies, you think you are invincible, you aren’t. You think because you have a APRC/JFRV and can work there, you can’t! You can get around the work permit thing but then they will turn around and nail you for tax, pension, health insurance, lack of a kindy teaching license and the list goes on.
Remember, there is no black and white here, just a nice haze of gray that is open to everybody’s interpretation as per the ten sets of laws controlling every policy.
Guess who interprets the rules? Can you guess? Can you? Can you?
Also related…
There was timely article in the paper a few days ago reminding people about being on the watch for those dirty outsiders always breaking the law. If they report a foreigner working illegally(and they get caught) they get $20000 per lao wai! Can you imagine if you cruised around the kindies in your area how much cash some pissed off quasi chicom peanut head motherland lover could make?
You think this is linked.
I feel like Jesse Ventura from that stupid “Conspiracy Theory” show.
Just like every election, keep your guard up, keep the profile down.[/quote]

It’s easier to scapegoat foreigners in any country, especially during an election (just ask the Americans).

17

[quote=“baberenglish”]They aren’t bitching about English for kids, they are just riling up Nationalism before the election, stepping up inspections and raids, kicking out foreigners to prop up the stats. .

There was timely article in the paper a few days ago reminding people about being on the watch for those dirty outsiders always breaking the law. If they report a foreigner working illegally(and they get caught) they get $20000 per lao wai! Can you imagine if you cruised around the kindies in your area how much cash some pissed off quasi chicom peanut head motherland lover could make? [/quote]

Really? since when have all these raids started and all these foreingers been deported?

Sure would make one popular walking into a bar packed with English teachers when you tell them you go around busting illegals for a living. Still 5 teachers a month at 20K

Sounds like good moolah.

18

Any law that means my toddler won’t be subjected to bloody abacus!! fer chrissakes! is a good law in my book.

19

Happens all the damn time, dude! Have you been living under a stone? I’m not even in the teaching game and I know how common this is. Usually only happens as a result of a pissed-off Taiwanese laoban ratting out his rival down the street, but come election time, they’re fair game for politicians of every stripe. I’m surprised this is so off your radar.

20

[quote=“sandman”][quote=“Jerome Morrow”]Really? since when have all these raids started and all these foreingers been deported?

[/quote]Happens all the damn time, dude! Have you been living under a stone? I’m not even in the teaching game and I know how common this is. Usually only happens as a result of a pissed-off Taiwanese laoban ratting out his rival down the street, but come election time, they’re fair game for politicians of every stripe. I’m surprised this is so off your radar.[/quote]

No radar penetrates my stone Sandman. Well alls fair in love and war they say. So bushiban loabans ratting each other out over illegal teachers? Do they get the reward money as well?