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5.
Schools
If one of your pastimes is parenting, you may find it more challenging
than usual in Taiwan. Backyard swing sets are precious commodities
on this overcrowded island, so your child's school will become an
even bigger part of his or her social and recreational life.
A vast number of preschools, kindergartens and day-care centers
can be found here. They range from free-form play centers to highly
structured academies that introduce children to the intense scholastic
life that awaits them in grade school.
Most preschools teach in Chinese, although many private schools
do teach in English and other foreign languages, especially in Taipei.
(Many preschools that advertise as being "American" or "English"
actually are Chinese-language schools with occasional classes in
English as a foreign language.)
For elementary and secondary education, Taiwan's public schools
now accept the enrollment of non-ROC citizens, and this option is
an increasingly popular choice, especially for returning overseas
Chinese families and the children of mixed marriages.
In addition, there are a number of schools that specialize in foreign-language
education. Regardless of their home culture, many expatriates with
children inevitably find themselves settling into the northern Taipei
districts of Tienmu or Yangmingshan, where a majority of the best
schools can be found.
The Taipei American School, in Tienmu, is decidedly the island's
largest and most developed school, with a large campus and a broad
English-language curriculum that is accepted by American universities.
Also in Tienmu is the Taipei Japanese School, offering standard
Japanese-language courses to the area's sizeable Japanese community.
At the Taipei European Schools Campus, located in nearby Yangmingshan,
three different schools share the same campus, facilities and transportation.
The Taipei British School teaches a standard British-based curriculum,
while the Ecole Francaise de Taipei teaches a French program and
the Deutsche Schule Taipei offers classwork in German. All three
programs are recognized in their respective home countries.
The Yangmingshan Christian School, affiliated with the Taiwan Adventist
Hospital, offers classes through junior high level.
Outside of the "foreign concession," the Dominican International
School offers a Catholic, American-based program, while the Morrison
Academy offers a Christian-oriented American curriculum on three
different campuses, in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. The Lincoln
American School in Taichung County offers classes from kindergarten
through high school. .
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