Any experiences at this branch of Kang Chiao in Hsinchu?
Seems like all information about Kang Chiao on the site is about the one in Xindian.
It’s a no go for me. I heard that the only decent international schools in Taiwan are TAS, TES, and KAS. I don’t know about the Japanese schools though. They have their own system.
Well basically their whole cooperation is a no go for me. 康橋是康軒關係企業. Look at their textbooks. And google what happens with 康軒 these days. The money ain’t good enough for me to sell my soul.
康軒‘s English textbooks are absolute 
, so I would never teach at the school that only exists because the government requires public schools to use their crap textbooks. Also that you then have to use their crap textbooks if you teach there. I hear average pay is NT100,000/month, but the immediate trade off is awful curriculum. Great for someone looking to get away from cram school life, not so much for experienced teachers
I thought international schools would be using American textbooks. They’re using 康軒? Isn’t that like preschool level for American kids? How are they going to conduct their curriculum with that English level?
Btw I heard that the pay for the locals is like 60k lol. I’m not sure if it’s a starter’s or average wage though. I wonder what message would the students get with this kind of discrimination.
They use US textbooks, their curriculum is California standard core.
No, they’re not.
Well then that’s just hilarious. Publish the world’s worst textbooks and then don’t use them in your own school, probably because the California ones are “better”
1 Like
Well I’m not gonna argue about the terrible textbooks part, but the reason why they’re not using 康軒 is because those are for ESL learners.
But honestly, how hard is it to hire a proof reader for 康軒? I doubt any American would let them get away with what they have published so far…
1 Like
Doesn’t 康軒publish for all subject areas?
1 Like
Yeah basically. But for Taiwanese students.
International schools have a different curriculum so asking them to use 康軒 is a bit unreasonable. Even high school students in Taiwan might not be able to understand US elementary school textbooks.
High school English in Taiwan doesn’t expect you to write an essay or a comment or a review. It’s basically just grammar practice. There might be some semi collegiate words in the textbooks, but the whole text structure and grammar is basically, I think maybe about third grade level in the states.
Plus translation from Mandarin to English is mandatory in English classes in Taiwan. Those won’t do in an international school.
My point is more that if they’re so good at making textbooks, why should they need to use textbooks from somewhere else? They should make their own “excellent” books. This is me 康軒-bashing because the only thing any of their textbooks are good for is toilet paper or fire starters. I know other FETs have argued with me about them, but that indicates that they’re never seen a textbook written and proofread by anyone with any degree of competence. 康橋 only exists because they have a monopoly on the public school textbook market. Public schools have to use them. Then 康軒can fund their fancy private schools. “Rich kids are too good for our shit textbooks that everyone else in the country is required to use”. Typical entitlement
1 Like
You know, everything you said is so right 
Kang Chiao does use Kang Xuan’s textbooks for grades 1 - 6. Starting in grade 7, students can choose (subject to a placement exam) whether they want to take all their classes in English with American textbooks, or continue taking their classes in Chinese, in which case they’ll continue using Chinese textbooks (presumably published by Kang Xuan – I’ve only seen textbooks written for the lower grades).
When students elect to take all their classes in English, their classes will switch to books published by an American publishing house.
I would never ever send my child to that school or elect to work there if they are using Kang Xuan’s textbooks. The only reason I would send my (nonexistent) children to a private school would be to get them away from the 
curriculum that is Taiwan’s idea of academically educating children. Why pay so much in tuition so your child can get the same exact education that they would get in a public school? Worse, they get the same academics only are surrounded exclusively by entitled brats and get no social class diversity from their classmates, so they grow up with very messed up ideas about how the world functions on top of not learning any better academically.
1 Like
Then what’s the point of going to an international school…?
1 Like
Tuition is much lower for the students who use local textbooks and have classes taught in Chinese. But I agree – there really isn’t much point to this program – the only thing I can think is if your kids couldn’t pass the placement exam into public school.
Spaces in the international program are very limited, and there’s a long waiting list. In theory, students might cut in line if they register for the waiting local program and then try to transfer to the international program? (But I’m just guessing – I have no idea if that’s how it really works)
1 Like
I don’t think there’s a placement exam until high school. Do they have high school students?
I also don’t know how it works, but this makes sense.
Kang Chiao’s program is K - 12, but high school has by far the biggest enrollment.
1 Like
It’s not an international school according to MOE