I’ve been under the impression that teaching kindergarten age kids is illegal. Is it? I think my cram school manager is gaslighting me.
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Welcome to Taiwan, if the explanation sounds like a load of old waffle well…it likely is.
The important thing is what kind of visa do you have , are you a short termer or long termer and what level of Taiwan cowboyness you can put up with.
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I’m on an ARC visa.
I’ve already told her that I do not want to teach kindergarten aged kids.
What do you mean by “Taiwan cowboyness”? I’d prefer to work legally and follow the law because I’ve seen Taiwanese report foreigners due to a grudge.
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If you have an APRC or JFRV you are a little more on the safe side in terms of getting deported… But I would still try to avoid this. (You can technically be denied applying for an APRC if you commit a crime etc…)
As @Brianjones said
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I think @Brianjones means that there are operators that skirt the law. Like the cowboys in the “wild west” as the laws aren’t enforced.
Thanks for the explanation!
By the way @VeryGreatLunch don’t think it doesn’t happen.
I’ve had the government show up a few times to various schools I worked at. It happens quite often. However, the schools are smart.
For example, I worked at an elementary that had a kindergarten attached. Sometimes I would take my students to the library to be told I couldn’t because the foreign teachers from the kindergarden were hiding there for the day.
I also had the city government show up to a cram school I worked at. Walked straight over to me and asked for my ARC. Now… the other foreign teacher in the back didn’t even have his work permit yet… imagine if he was in the front during that time LOL
I’ve heard of teachers being hidden behind fake walls before… LOL
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Teaching English in Kindergarten has been adjusted in 2021.
It has since been amended to the current version:
四、有進行外語教學之必要者，應以部分時間融入教保活動課程，並符合幼兒園教保活動課程大綱；不得以全部時間為之，或以部分時間採非融入方式進行教保活動。
It just says English teaching should be a part of the curriculum . It’s pretty dumb since the reason for that amendment for to meet the Bilingual 2030 requirement, like no immersion and forcing kindie kids to sit through English classes will lead to bilingualism.
However, foreign teachers teaching kindergartners is still a problem.
Article 46
3.Teacher at the following schools:
(1)Teacher at a public or registered private college/university or school established especially for foreign residents.
(2)Approved teacher teaching course(s) on foreign language(s) at a public or registered private primary or high school.
(3)Teacher teaching course(s) at a public or registered private experimental high school’s bilingual department or at bilingual school(s).
The Chinese text is
（二）公立或已立案之私立高級中等以下學校之合格外國語文課程教師。
Technically, it doesn’t specifically say no foreign teachers for kindergarten, it says qualified foreign teachers can teach foreign languages in high school or below be it private or public. I guess it depends on the interpretation of whether kindergartens are a part of the school system or not.
I would say people are pushing to legalize it, especially because of the bilingual 2030 project, but the laws are probably still not fully amended yet.
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Glad you can give him the truth.
It’s illegal. However，you can just call the DOE and ask.
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But you’re still working illegally, which means you’re still going to be in legal trouble.
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You have an open work permit. You can work any job.
However, kindergarten is one that requires local qualifications etc… it’s like working as a doctor without a medical license.
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Yes which means that I would still be in trouble for working in a kindergarten, just as any random joeschmo that’s a Taiwanese citizen would be in trouble for working in kindergarten (if they don’t have the right license). And I should add, my US teaching license covers age 3 through grade 12, but the ROC doesn’t accept early childhood credentials unless they’re from the ROC, so it doesn’t matter that my US teaching license lets me teach in kindergartens and preschools in the US, Taiwan doesn’t accept that as a qualification.
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The question might be: Can under 6 year olds go to a buxiban class? If yes, then you are fine. I’ve been running a school for kids 3-6 for many years, they don’t care who you teach as long as you are registered to teach there.
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I think your manager is saying the classes are not part of their kindergarten schedule. It is a ‘talent’ class. These are extra classes that the parents pay extra for that happen after the normal school day ends.
Whether you are legally able to teach it would depend on where it is happening since you dont have open work rights so you should only teach where you are registered.
Not being able to legally teach in a kindergarten doesnt mean you can’t teach a kindergarten aged kid in another setting.
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Yah but it’s all just smoke and mirrors if they wish to bust him/her they can if he is doing something illegal. They may not even have any interest in him but a rival school may have an interest in messing with competition. He doesn’t want to do anything illegal and Kindergarten aged kids is a very gray area. If he doesn’t say “No” now then they might widen the goal posts.
To the OP , I suggest you refuse , but that’s my last comment on this.
If you don’t want to teach this age you should be firm and unyielding regardless of the legality. There’s plenty of jobs out here anyway. Don’t make yourself miserable teaching what you don’t want to teach
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Just to follow up, I did email the ministry of education asking if it was legal to teach 5 year olds in a cram school with an ARC. I didn’t get a response.
I’m not overly worried about burning bridges even though the school’s owner retaliates by cutting hours. I already know I’m not going to be working for this cram school in February when my one year contract is up due to stagnant pay. The director told me that teachers only get raises if they work for the school for a few years, they’re willing to work the $290/hr summer and winter camps (I’m getting 700/hr for teaching), and the school likes them.
This class isn’t at my normal location. It’s a 40 min mrt trip from my place (each way) so I don’t know if it’s worth the pay because it’s just a 90 min. class.
Whenever I say I don’t want to teach kindergarten, my director is really quick to respond “this isn’t a kindergarten, it’s a cram school”.
Not just for rival schools but everyone in general. I’ve seen how vindictive some Taiwanese are when they’re mad. I’ve known girls to report people for illegally working when they felt slighted.
I’m going to calculate my finances before I put my foot down just in case my other classes disappear. I’m a first year teacher so I’ve only been working for half a year. I’ve only been able to save about 80k since last February.
The different location is more of a concern. On an employer sponsored ARC you can only work at addresses on your ARC.
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A long time ago in Chiayi a lass came to me. She worked for a company manufacturing for overseas clients. She spoke pretty good English. Her boss had promised he would send her to Trade shows in Taipei and abroad. Next thing she knows some white English teacher is given her trade duties to attend trade shows in Taipei. She asks me what to do.
I told her no way he has a work permit from your boss and he cannot legally work in your company for half a day every morning. Just report him and by the way here is a government website where you get NT$10K when you inform the government if they catch an illegal worker.
For some reason the company was raided and that chap with no work permit deported. Turns out he didn’t even have an ARC for the school he was teaching at just teaching on a tourist visa.
She got her job satisfaction and 10k bonus and that white dude got to see how white privilege worked as he got fined and deported. Her boss was fined for hiring an illegal worker.
Companies with illegal workers get be fined NT$750,000 as some have found out. Those caught working illegally at an address not on their ARC can be fined and deported, as many have found out.
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