My son is in fifth class and like myself is experiencing the unfortunate condition of getting older. I have thus recently become conscious of the need to identify secondary schooling options. Up until now my son has been attending the school around the corner: a local public school of repute, and an experience that has passed so far without a single hiccup. I am now seeking to identify secondary schooling options that would enable such smooth sailing conditions to continue. A reading of the good forumosan pages just now makes me aware of at least the potential for relatively choppy experiences, and these are seas that we would very much like to avoid: no Edgar Allen Poe vortexes, thank you very much. So basically - to bring the story to its main point - I am fishing for advice on affordable secondary schooling options that do not come with major wind ups and that are within easy striking distance of the south side of Taipei. Does anyone have any positive experiences or suggestions as to the options?
You looking for private or public?
I was thinking public. I have limited means in the money dimension.
If it is public, you have to go to the one near your house. You can’t just choose any public one.
I was under the impression that as a foreign devil you could attend any, provided you met their academic standards? That was the case for primary when I rang and asked the schools a few years ago. At that time the one right by our house was good, but the ones further away also indicated that we could apply. In any case I would consider moving if we needed to. For a first step right now am just looking to identify the options.
That might be, because they had room for students outside their area, given Taiwan’s low birth rate
No doubt.
Any ideas regarding potential schools? I guess I could just start asking around by word of mouth, that’s how we found his current primary, was recommended by a friend.
There are a number of experimental junior high schools in Taipei and New Taipei listed in this article.
There is also this school in Yilan that might possibly work from southern Taipei.
These are all public schools being run as experimental schools.
There are many more all across Taiwan if moving is an option.
It recently occured to be that Taiwan’s ‘experimental schools’ (實驗學校) might be better translated as ‘laboratory schools’.
John Dewey had a profound affect on less radical Chinese intellectuals in the early part of the last century. I have the impression that his ideas about education were particularly influential in the Republic of China and later Taiwan. He founded the first lab school, which was affiliated with the University of Chicago.
Similar schools exist in Taiwan such as the National Taipei University of Education Experimental Elementary School 國立臺北教育大學附設實驗國民小學. Obviously this is affiliated with a teaching university.
Now there are many unaffiliated experimental/lab schools that have no doubt evolved greatly from the original model.
I assumed the kid was Taiwanese. Not sure how it works if everyone involved is a foreigner.
Thanks a lot, some interesting leads in there! I presume that the experimental schools tend to err on the side of lower rather than higher stress, any idea if that is a correct assumption?
I clicked through on some and saw mention of the admissions lottery, so am wondering now what the current situation for foreigners is with respect to that. I know it was a no go - basically no foreigners - for public kindergarten. However in my experience it was not a barrier for the primary school. Any idea if the no household registration catch rears its head for the second level schools at the moment?
Household registration affects junior high school enrollment in Taipei at least and I’m pretty sure elsewhere.
If your child is a foreign national, the address on their ARC will probably be dispositive.
Foreign national children are eligible to attend a Taipei City public kindergarten. The problem is that there are not enough places in public kindergartens and so they use a lottery. Foreign national children with ARCs are treated the same as citize children in the lottery. The chances of being selected in the lottery are low in Taipei City.
In other places (especially rural areas), there are not enough children and a surplus of public kindergarten places. Everyone includes foreign children (with ARCs) attends no problem.
I’ve also heard that there is little academic pressure at middle schools in rural or semi-urban areas. You might consider movng to one of these areas if feasible and if this is a big concern YMMV.
「宜蘭縣LLAQI NA LLYUNG MNIBU TA TAYAL(蘭陽溪流域泰雅的孩子) 民族實驗國民中學」 is an Atayal experimental middle school in Yilan. I bet it would be a unique educational experience with not too much academic pressure.
Finding a place to live in this beautiful but wet area might be challenging.
Oh, interesting. Maybe the situation has changed but this is not the experience that I had. In new Taipei city they said foreigners were not included and we were not allowed to join the lottery. Mind you this was a few years ago. Both my kids went to private kindergarten, even getting in there was tricky enough.
Complete opposite experience with the elementary schools, every one we rang to enquire at were like ‘sure no problem’ I was asking if there was a lottery or anything and they were like nah just show up on the day sign this paper and you are in.
Guess its a bit early to start calling secondary schools to figure out how it rolls there although I am tempted to start. I see there is also a phone line in the first link you shared so might give that one a tinkle and see what happens.
Looks like a cool place, been meaning to visit that area as we often go to Yilan at weekends, but yea that’s way off the map for us in terms of living. I’d be looking at options for a trip that a young kid of 12 could take with minimal supervision in around the Wenshan Xindian side of things.
Thanks for the ideas about the experimental schools and the rural schools in general though, googling around those a little now.
I recommend letting your child go to the nearest school (the one in your area) unless your child has trouble getting along academically. My kids went to the school close to us and it was fine. I think there are no really awful schools in Taipei.
Hmm yea, lol, I am starting to wonder if thats not the answer 
Theres a junior high school not far from our house. Not sure I’d go near it though, judging by some incidents of behaviour I saw from some of the students, maybe will aim to enquire at the next one down instead.
Jingmei? That has a pretty good rep. What incidents?
Hmm, yea, I walked past that only the other day and it definitely occurred to me. I think I’ll look into that.
Nothing really, just maybe the Taiwanese version of this, featuring some loud ‘Hallos’:
