this is a painful statement and it has absolutely nothing to do with why the MOE dictates that no English can be taught in kindergarten. for one they certainly don’t require the Taiwanese teachers to have any kind of related degree. They also have zero oversight regarding what can be taught in kindergarten and regardless there is zero enforcement of any rules that they have in place.
Which is exactly what I said. I will say it again…
BUT
This is not an endorsement of the current kindy system here. etc etc.
Cite your sources.
Language should be taught is a way similar to what they are describing. If what they decide to do is regulate pedagogy rather than English as a subject they would be moving in the right direction. I doubt any such thing will ever happen because they lack the will to enforce it in any meaningful way. The real problem is the hypocrisy. The MOE displays none of these pedagogical concerns in any other contexts. Public schools are a mindless grind in teaching each and every subject from k-12. Only when considering the subject of English does the MOE suddenly feel noble and decide to protect the children. This is because the whole thing is largely misdirection in the pursuit of other objectives, as I stated in an earlier post.
To clear the confusion that this article caused me, I had our secretary phone the MOE to make sure things were crystal clear. The part about “fined up to NT$500,000” had me a little nervous. The folks at the MOE had no idea what she was talking about. They basically said to just go on doing what you are doing.
Meanwhile, my fourth grade daughter was required to memorize some useless dribble tonight so the teacher wouldn’t give her hell tomorrow.
The posts on this topic are from quite a few years ago. Is it still illegal for foreign teachers to be working with children under the age of 6 in any educational setting?
Afaik the laws have not changed. 
“According to NDC Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶), the aim of the bilingual policy was to have each citizen being able to understand, converse, read and write in Chinese and English”
That is the short-term aim they say.
Hello, it’s been a while, but is there anything new on this front?
Are bilingual early childhood centers still illegal? Could anyone with a lot of knowledge on this topic in Taiwan reach out to me at rebekah@bilinguistas.com? I’d love to talk to a knowledgeable person about this.
I teach kids age 3-6. We have had no issue in 6 years. I have a buxiban, not kindy. Also, this is in NTC.
The centers are not illegal. It is illegal to have foreigners teaching at kindergartens. Note that Pinoco does not own a kindergarten.
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Oh okay, so Taiwan allows Bilingual Education (English-Mandarin) for children 2-5 if the teachers are Taiwanese?
Or in a buxiban, IIUC
It depends. Are you asking about teaching at a real kindergarten? Or teaching at a private after-school supplementary education business (commonly known here as a “cram school” or buxiban)? Or are you asking about teaching as a licensed private tutor?
Cram Schools:
Qualified foreigners may obtain employment visas to teach kids aged 3 and above in any language at a private after-school supplementary education business (cram school). All cram schools doing business in Taiwan must be licensed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education.
Kindergartens (age 3-6):
The Taiwan government does not issue employment visas to foreigners to teach in any language at real kindergartens, but a qualified/licensed foreigner who holds open work rights may do so (for example a permanent resident). Kindergartens fall under the Ministry of Education, and are “real schools”.
Preschools (under 3):
Children under 3 cannot receive any kind of education from any kind of educational organization. They may only attend preschool which is more like a daycare center. They do not receive any education, and teachers cannot work there. Only caretakers. Foreigners cannot receive employment visas to work at preschools. Preschools do not fall under the Ministry of Education, as they cannot provide education.
Private tutor:
All individuals in Taiwan who wish to teach children in a private after-school setting (either in their own home, in the home of the child, online, or at a rented space, etc.) must be licensed by Taiwan as a tutor. Foreigners who do not have open work rights cannot be licensed as a private tutor.
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The regulation is for everyone, not just foreigners.
At least the Taiwanese teachers we had, said they were not allowed to do it officially.
But any public kindergarten my kids were in so far ignored that and did it hush hush anyway. Taiwanese teachers also know the risk and it is obviously not done in front of the security cameras.
My youngest is in his last year of kindy and he even has an English book with occasional homework learning a few words.
There seems a large opposition to those rules by parents and staff. Like why a 5 y/o shouldn’t learn how to do basic math.
Maybe some places try to hire a foreigner to reduce the risk for staff. In case they get busted the others can wash their hands in innocence having a scapegoat.
Are you talking about a preschool? That is more of a daycare center for younger toddlers (like ages 1-2 or whatever) and not an educational institution, hence the laws against any kind of teaching. They are only allowed to hire caretakers, not teachers.
@Bilinguistas is asking about teaching young children who are kindergarten-aged, so she is either asking about teaching at a kindergarten or an after-school “cram school”, or teaching as a licensed private tutor. She has not clarified yet.
Most “kindergartens” just register as cram schools and their problem is solved. Rent the space next door for lunch and naps and then there’s no problem hiring foreigners as teachers. (The big tip off that its a kindy is tooth brushes and sleeping mats)
Maybe their problem of hiring foreigners is solved, but I’d hazard a guess that most parents would want to send their kindergarten-aged kids to an actual kindergarten and not just a cram school.
Or the parents haven’t taken the time to learn the difference/they dont even have a way to know. The school can register as a cram school with the government and advertise and put up signs that indicate they are a normal school. Ive interviewed at schools (at the elementary level) and gotten contracts that have no indication they’re anything but a typical private day school. But the bank account that’s going to be depositing my paycheck and where id be getting my health and labor insurance? That’s from a 短期補習班. I haven’t decided if this is pure evil or just general false advertisement. The constant games I see as a teacher here certainly has me thinking about whether id ever want kids. Sometimes its a simple matter of skirting around unnecessary laws, but other times it really is downright dangerous.
I mean, one would assume that if the school hours are 8-3 (or whatever most school hours are), then it’s a real school. If it’s afternoons and evenings (or weekends), then it’s a cram school.
They’re pretty easy to differentiate especially since elementary school is mandatory, so there wouldn’t be a cram school operating from 8-3 that is teaching elementary-aged kids.