Hi All, US parent wanting our kid (1st grade) to get a taste of school in Taiwan. Schools out by May where we are and I’m looking for a Chinese program that would be able to take him (I don’t think the local schools will). I’ve learned some great things from parents in this forum and was wondering if anyone has experience with Sky Kids or Flourishing Montessori located inside the Datung University campus in Taipei?
On a separate note, local public schools will take him, as they’re losing #s due to lower birth rate.
Nonetheless, good luck with the search
I have never heard of either of those programs and I generally think I know quite a lot about Montessori in Taiwan (Taipei especially). My opinion of Montessori in Taiwan is “avoid it!!!”, no matter how many certificates the teachers have and how strictly they claim to follow the Montessori Method. They’re just like any other traditional school only they justify higher tuition costs because they have pretty wood toys and “montessori” is in their name. The whole “respect for the child” concept tends to mean “let them do whatever they want. If you have clear boundaries you’re bullying the child. So never tell them no or be firm”.
That being said, you’re going to play Russian Roulette sending your kid to a public school too, soooo…
Lol. I saw a news item where they turned 2 classrooms in an elementary school in Taipei Hsinyi to elderly classrooms for those experiencing cognitive decline! But the anecdotal experience I got from parents of young kids in Linkou in New Taipei is that there’s a lot of shuffling because of unanticipated demand. Meaning, their kids don’t get to go to the elementary schools assigned/closest to them, but instead, a few months before the school year starts for 1st grade, they learn about their school assignments. I’m not sure if demand is spotty or that certain elementary schools perceived as prestigious are overloaded, or that, they’ve cut back on teachers. But it seems like he needs a hukou and the process of getting him into a household registration is so cumbersome that I’m looking for private schools where instruction is (mostly) in Chinese.
I really appreciate your take and I absolutely agree. Montessori is a marketing ploy stateside too. I have had my son in 2 years of Montessori (in Atlanta) and I wouldn’t have kept him in there if there hadn’t been a Chinese immersion component. Having visited and observed other places, it was objectively, much worse than a generic pre-K and K classroom. I remember visiting once and the kids spent nearly 2 hours just doodling on a half sheet of scratch paper w/ 2 color pencils (all they’re allowed to take). And yet they charged $500 more than even the most expensive non-Montessori program nearby. The issue for us is that there aren’t very many programs to choose from for 1-1.5 month-long studies and my impression is that local public schools require hukou registration in order to meet eligibility.