Taiwan’s government is seeking to ban tuition classes in English and maths for children under six years old, saying the rote-learning method widely used by cram schools adversely affects the mental and physical development of pre-schoolers

Cram schools face ban on English and maths tuition

Monday, September 2, 2013 – 06:00

Lee Seok Hwai

The Straits Times

TAIWAN – Taiwan’s government is seeking to ban tuition classes in English and maths for children under six years old, saying the rote-learning method widely used by cram schools adversely affects the mental and physical development of pre-schoolers. The Cabinet on Thursday approved an amendment to the Supplementary Education Act that could fine cram schools NT$100,000 to NT$500,000 (S$4,300 to S$21,300) for violating the ban. The amendment will have to be passed by the legislature.“Tuition classes for young children ought to be limited to those focused on play and physical activities, or art and skills,” Premier Jiang Yi-huah said.

The move is not targeted at English and maths per se, officials say, but rather the “unhealthy” cram-style learning that characterises the teaching of these subjects at Taiwan’s 19,000 cram schools. There is no official estimate on how many children or schools will be affected.

“We don’t wish to see children that young being made to sit in rows, stare at blackboards, forced to take notes, write the letter ‘A’ 100 times and so on,” said Ms Chang Pei-yun, an education ministry spokesman.

She said tuition centres could still teach English and maths, but only by incorporating them into singing lessons, for example, or arts and crafts classes.

Under the draft amendment, such courses will have to be approved by the education authorities of local governments.

“To teach kids, you must integrate play, not force them to memorise multiplication tables, the alphabet and phonetics, or take reams of notes when their finger muscles are still not developed,” Ms Chang added. “We hope kids can grow up happy and healthy.”

Taiwanese children start learning English on entering primary school at the age of seven, with the subject taking up at least two periods of 40 minutes each per week. Children aged two to six go to kindergarten where they learn through play basic life skills like getting along with their peers.

The amendment, which includes two separate changes to supplementary education for high school and tertiary students, came about after years of consultation with civic bodies including parents’ groups and those concerned over “excessive learning”.

Ms Sharon Lin, 40, a mother of two children aged nine and six, is one of those in favour of the ban.

“Pre-school education should be based on play, but too many schools these days use rote-learning,” said the planning executive of a computer games company. Professor Liao Hsien-hao of National Taiwan University said children should stick to learning their mother tongue before the age of nine.

“Pre-school children cannot even speak Mandarin properly, let alone English,” he was quoted as saying by United Daily News.

But others are not convinced. Ms Lin Kuei-fang, a bank employee with a three-year-old son, criticised the government for “meddling”.

“Parents can always hire private tutors for their children, so this (the amendment) is pretty pointless.” Ms Hsu Ya-chih, spokesman for a preschool tuition centre chain famous for its all-English environment, says the ban will have an impact on the firm, which she asked not to be named.

Some say the ban can be circumvented. Ms Liu Yu-yen, headmistress of Jiamei private kindergarten in New Taipei City, said schools could simply hide “incriminating evidence” from inspectors.

“Too many parents want their kids to attend the best universities, and so start them young in learning subjects like English and maths. They don’t want to lose out at the starting line.”