Emigrating Taiwan for the sake of my children. To stay or go?

Kaohsiung is so much better to live in than Taipei.
More relaxed atmosphere instead of the rush-rush.
Scootering through the streets today like I am used to doing in Taipei, but was passing everybody like I was a scooter gang member.
Locals have more time to carry a conversation, unlike in the north.

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Much nicer than Taichung too.
Iā€™m considering moving back to Kaohsiung

Every two years you get a new teacher and new classmates.

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My kids have been with the same class every year but their home room teacher changed every couple of years (sometimes earlier if the teacher left).

Taiwanese are not so sure Taiwan is a good place to raise kidsā€¦see the low birth rate?

It depends on schools/principals.

as for bullying of mixed raced kids, iā€™m sure it could happen at some point, although i donā€™t think it would be as bad as back home in the uk. ā€˜chinkā€™, ā€˜pakiā€™ and ā€˜niggerā€™ were used all the time when i was in school by horrible little chav kids. as another poster said, its good to teach your kids how to deal with bullying and i donā€™t think the bullying here would be so out of hand that you couldnā€™t do that.

so uk loses on that one for me. it loses when the kids get older too. kids here donā€™t grow up too fast. different story back home, and i just donā€™t like it.

the biggest drawback here is the studying culture.

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Racism and the general nastiness that you encounter in British schools is all too present here. As a teacher Iā€™ve had to give a verbal lashing to more than a few students who have had the ignorance and gall to call mixed race students in the class ā€œniggerā€ multiple times.

Remember that this is a culture which encourages people to whiten their skinā€¦which to me suggests fundamental issues which race and hints at classism in this society. And yes, white/asian kid mixes get bullied too.

Iā€™ve heard comments about how they look strange. Iā€™ve witnessed a particularly moronic class clown who loved to form group chats on LINE, who took it upon himself to designate nicknames for classmates which only those in the group would know. Therefore ā€œbig lipsā€ and ā€œbig mouthā€ - two mixed race students, had no idea they were even being bullied. The bully in question would just say ā€œlook at big lips today she is so ugly.ā€ Poor girl had no idea she was being sneered and laughed at but she was.

I recall as a child (not so long ago) that as soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the day Iā€™d race home and tear off my uniform. Absolutely no chance Iā€™d be still wearing it past 5pm. Never mind cram school.

In Taiwan itā€™s not uncommon to be taking the 10pm bus home only for it to be jam packed with weary junior and senior hugh school kids who look like theyā€™re about 40 years old. They look exhausted, souless and malnourished. Itā€™s dispiriting to see kids like that.

  1. How long ago did you experience these things happening as a teacher?

  2. Which age group?

  3. What kind of an effect did the consequences you enforced upon those students have?

  4. How did other students react to the bullying?

  5. Did any Taiwanese students stand up for or befriend the ā€œmixedā€ students?

1 - Just 4 months ago.

2 - Junior High. Between 15 -16 years old.

3 - The bully in question turned red. But I doubt getting scolded changed his opinion on anything. That attitude comes from all around him, so he is just reinforcing the views he probably heard growing up. I highly doubt that particular bully is capable of critical thinking or self reflection.

4 - They were probably sick of him but too afraid to say anything. Some even nervously laughed when he said those things. Which only encouraged him further most likely. Though I would like to point out that there are some Taiwanese students out there who donā€™t care about skin color. Just maybe not so many

5 - The mixed students had some friends Iā€™m sure. Nobody stood up for those kids though. At least not publicly. But of course once the bully is away from the scene then Iā€™d ask other students what they think if his behavior and theyā€™d say he is immature and childlike.

The latter probably helps explain a lot. Kids are too pampered here and maybe donā€™t have a stern hand at home for when they behave badly. Makes them grow up with a false confidence that they are untouchable.

If that happened repeatedly in the same class of students then the teacher and school have responsibility. It should be confronted and made clear that it is unacceptable, with consequences.

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I agree. However, I did raise this point to the manager and he just laughed and tried to justify the kids behavior because ā€œhis mother is a single mom.ā€ Ridiculous.

I should add that this was at a buxiban. And for those who have no experience with the systems in place there than I can tell you for a fact that students who fail or misbehave will never be kicked outta the school so long as their parents continue to pay. The manager himself told me so. Money talks.

Well, I have since changed jobs so goodbye to that little scrote of a kid.

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Congratulations on getting out of that.

I canā€™t help but think this is another demonstration of ā€œGenovese effectā€ā€¦

I was amazed at how many high school students have serious grey hair going on. Like even as early as 14 and their going grey.
Normally itā€™s genetic but at that age itā€™s likely the pressure and stress.

But interestingly, I find from talking to them that the pressure to study all hours and be the best is not coming from the parents. On the contrary, it seems to be self pressure to be the best, to get to the best schools. I often hear , oh my parents donā€™t really care, I just want to be number 1.
And then you have the rest that are resigned to not being the best.

They used to get the stick out at home and at school as little as 10 years ago.
While some might disagree with corporal punishment, i find it did keep them in line from being little shits.

The kids say, you canā€™t touch me at school.
My parents donā€™t do anything other than say donā€™t do that at home and usually not even that, so I get away with screaming like a demon in a public place or running around wild. Thus the entitled prince and princess we see now imo

Many years ago I told a misbehaving boy he would need to stay after class for bad behavior.
He said you canā€™t make me stay, my mom is picking me up. He then just walked out at the end of class, I told the boss and was told to let it go. Lol

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mate, i agree it exists here. racism and general small minded dumb ass attitudes. along with a non confrontational culture that allows people to be brave and talk all kinds of shit and get away with it thinking they did nothing wrong.

i also think its worse if you are black or dark skinned.(i wouldnā€™t want to live here if i was) but compared to england, no iā€™m sorry but its not the same. chavs donā€™t say oh you have big lips behind your back. they spit in your face. and when they get older they steal your phone and stab you because its the cool thing to do.

imo being asian in a british school is pretty low on the totem pole. i wouldnā€™t want to subject my kids to that, but hey thats just my opinion from my experience in school. maybe others had a wonderful time playing rugby, cricket, polo and bowls and everyone in their school got along, wasnā€™t the case for me.

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My pal lives in Zhonghli. They have a ganster neighbor next door. Tage. How do we know? Well, her kids were playing ball outside, on eth firts floor garden, and one otehr neighbor did not like it. he came to their door banging and screaming and complaining. they said they would tell teh kids not to do it anymore. Close the door. 5 minutes later more banging and they have a bunch of little brothes -shon di- armed with watermelon knives and the neighbor ready to rumble. That is when the tage next door opens the door and sends everyone packing with a single word. End of incident.

Such is life in fancy buidlings in teh middle of industrial Zhonghli.

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When youā€™re angry, a watermelon knife is only a second away. Or a baseball bat, or a chain.

Timely topic, just came out of the elevator , a little girl got in yelling the entire way down and banging a plastic bat against the elevator mirror. Not a peep out of the mom.

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There are a lot of prejudices rampant in education here. Teachers label single parent kids as slow and problematic. Mixed kids from SEA mothers are also considered slow. It si more a socioeconomic thing, but they make it as some kind of destiny mark for failure. It may become a self serving prophecy as they do not invest time in those kids they thuink have no future.

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