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Public/Private
School Schedules
Obtaining
a high quality education is an important part of Taiwanese culture.
As young as 3, some Taiwanese children embark on an often grueling
and rigorous school schedule.
Although a few years ago public schools required students to attend
classes 6 days a week, the current schedule is more relaxed at
only 5 with weekends off (for public school) but cram schools
and private tutoring make up the difference for many lucky students... |
Kindergarten
| 9am
|
-
11am |
activities
w/snack break |
| 11am
|
- 2pm |
30 min. for lunch
and a nap until 2pm |
| 2pm
|
- 4pm |
activities, snack
and then home around 4 or 5pm |
Elementary School (Grades
1-6)
Note: Short
days
8am
8am
|
-12pm
-12pm
|
Mon,
Wed, Thur, Fri
Wed
|
Grades
1 & 2
Grades 3, 4 & 6 |
Junior High School (Grades 7-9 )
| 7:40am |
- 8:20am |
Flag
Rally - announcements/singing of nationalistic songs
|
| 8:30am |
- 9:15am |
1st class |
| 12pm |
- 12:45pm |
Lunch |
| 12:45pm |
- 1:15pm |
Nap-time |
| 1:25pm |
- 2:10pm |
1st afternoon
class |
| 4 or
5pm |
|
School out (some
schools may let out late depending) |
| 7
more hrs |
off to Bushiban (cram school) |
|
Students
approaching the age of 13 now have to worry about getting into the
right high school! To determine which school they will get into,
the students compete via The Students'
Scholastic Aptitude Test also known as the JrHSAT.
This
JrHSAT test marks the true beginning of serious
pressures on students to achieve. The test has been revised in the
recent years. Now, instead of the best overall students going to
the best overall schools, and the other students going to less-prestigious
schools, the results of the JrHSAT tests are supposedly designed
to help place students in subject fields that reflect their natural
abilities and interests/talents.
Schools
now too can specialize in particular subject areas, such as math
or science, and they often become the leading schools in their fields.
The test is given near the end of 9th grade, following which, parents
and students start applying to schools of their choice. The test
is given again to those who fail to achieve high scores if they
desire. A student's general scores from the 9th grade and the grade
they get on the JrHSAT will dictate whether they end up on the academic
track (higher education) or the vocational track (work or schools
which focus on specific jobs). By the time they start 10th grade,
they will be in a school geared toward one or the other which may
determine the rest of their life and careers!
|
Senior High School (Grades 10th-12th)
7:30am |
- 7:40am |
students arrive
|
| 7:40am |
-
8:20am |
Flag Rally |
| 8:20am |
-
9:10am |
1st class |
| 12pm |
-
1:20pm |
Lunch |
| 1:20pm |
-
2:10pm |
1st Afternoon
class |
| 4:00pm |
-
5:00pm |
Off |
|
A
test similar to that given in Jr. High School is given to High School
students to place them in colleges. There are several types of colleges
available but the best public colleges, mostly located in Taipei
and other major cities, are fiercely competitive. The other options
are private schools, which can be pricey, overseas study in US or
other country Universities, and vocational and Jr. colleges for
shorter term study.
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2003 ESLisland.com |
