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suggestions for travelling with school aged child

 
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kmont202000



Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Posts: 1
Location: Timmins,Ontario,Canada

PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:14 pm    Post subject: suggestions for travelling with school aged child Reply with quote

hye i'm new to this discussion board so if this question has been answered already sorry. I have previously taught in Taiwan and am seriously thinking about returning within the next couple of years. The problem now is that i'm a sinlgle father of a seven year old boy. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what accomoidations i could make for him. I was thinking about international schools ( i doubt I would make enough for that), private schools, tutors, or home schooling with someone to wacth him while I was teaching. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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BigWally



Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 765
Location: Ottawa, CAN (prev. Kaohsiung "the Dirty South")

PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it'd probably be easier for you to live in Taipei, because there is more English there to help your kid become more accustomed to being here...

he could go to regular Chinese school, it may actually be good for him to learn a new language while he's still young...i have seen the odd foreigner student out with his Chinese school friends, all in uniform, so its not totally unheard of...

just some thoughts
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TaoyuanSteve



Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan

PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most foreigner parents here are in mixed relationships, meaning one parent is Chinese. Most others are expats on packages. I've met a few exceptions-- one that even has a child in a local junior high-- however, I'd highly recommend you don't come here with a western school aged child.

International schools are just out of the question, cost wise, for a single person on a teacher's salary. Home schooling takes real effort-- and those that I've known to do it don't keep up with it well enough and the child's education suffers. Entering local schools would take real effort to get the child up to par language wise-- and this to enter a school system far inferior to the one the boy would be leaving behind.

No, Taiwan is not a place to raise a lad, IMO. I know of people-- even though their wives are Chinese-- who are leaving before their kids are school aged to give their kids the benefits of education and childhoods in their fathers' home countries. These people have been here as long as the hills. That ought to tell you something. Leave your boy where he can go camping with the boy scouts, play ball in the park and go to schools that don't suck the life and creativity out of kids.
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markholmes



Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua

PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have you considered actually getting qualified as an elementary school teacher? Then your child would get to go to the international school for free, you would likely get free accomodation, flights for both of you and your salary would be higher than if you were doing ESL (not sure if you would get this deal in Taiwan, but it certainly applies to the great majority of international schools).

My wife and I are currently going this route (first semester finishes next week, WoooHooo!!). I want to get back to Asia too, but we have a daughter and I don't want my lifestyle to be to her detriment. I want to get qualified so we all have more options.
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forest1979



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 507
Location: SE Asia

PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unless you have a job lined up at an expat school where your Son will be based then forget coming to Taiwan. Bringing a 7 year old to a country with a culture he wont understand, and language he doesn't know is cause to mess up this kids life. His adjustment process will be awful, it will impact on your quality of life and it has the potential to be a disaster for you and he. If you want your child to have the opportunities you had from your schooling, and so opportunities to find a good job then will coming to Taiwan enhance that? You can largely guarantee it wont. As much as you're playing with your future don't play with your Sons unless, as I said before, you have a job lined up at an international school or you're prepared to spend US$10,000s in private school fees for said international schools.
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