5. School Selection
5.1 Leave Children in Taiwan
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5. School Selection
The school children attend, that is composed of curriculum, teachers’ quality,
peer group and school culture, is selected by parents. The choice reflects parents’ concern over their children’s study plan. Therefore we can peek what these parents care for
their kids’ character or competitiveness from the perspective of picking up schools. This section will observe the sequence of ideas from school education to analyze the factors of school selection---stay in Taiwan or move to China. Generally, Taiwanese parents prefer staying their kids in Taiwan since they trust in Taiwanese education system. But what if they have to bring their kids with to China, they will assess each schools with the tendency to put their kids in average-quality Taiwanese Businessmen’s School, international schools or private schools. This decision is to ensure their children’s character and moral standard meet the parents’ identification. Besides, the multiple school choices in China are niches for parents, like Taiwanese Businessmen’s School, International School or local schools, their kids all have chance to enter. Compared with Taiwanese fixed pattern to enter studying-area school or private schools, in Taiwan they seem to have restricted choices.
5.1 Leave Children in Taiwan
Many Taiwanese Businesspeople leave their kids in Taiwan. On one hand, they are more familiar and trustful with Taiwanese education system. On the other hand they consider the nurture of children’s moral values and character. Since some Taiwanese parents think that there is a big moral values gap between Taiwan and China, they would not take the risk to let their kids study in China. Mr. Chu has set up a lighter factory and sold into local market but when it comes to children’s education, he doesn’t want to bring his kids with to China. The main concern lays on spirit manners and character education：
I have stayed in China for a long time but I am against Chinese fundamental education. I think that in Taiwan, spirit manners and quality is better. We parent care a lot about kids’ character and moral personality
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and we think that moral value cultivation is the most important before kids’
high- school years. (interview2010012501)
Furthermore, Mr. Chu mentioned as the economic development is so fast that
many basic values still await to build up. I am worried that my kids learn those habits and customs. Otherwise the school he studies in Taipei is a very good school that sets my mood in ease. Mr. Chu also feels easy in mind when the kids are accompanied by his wife in Taiwan：
Our school district is a star school district. We don’t need to worry about the school’s quality. In his extracurricular time, I feel okay to let him go out with his classmates. The teachers are all good. (interview2010012501)
Besides Chairman Lin has run an advertisement company in Shanghai for 15 years, he also leaves his kids in Taiwan. Take his daughter’s study plan for example, he chose good tradition girls’ elementary and high schools. And her daughter now
studies in a good national university in Taipei. In the process of their children’s studying, parents try best to select good tradition school and the mother takes care of the kids in Taiwan. Up to now, Chairman Lin’s daughter takes internship in his advertisement company in Shanghai every winter and summer vacation to keep track with the emerging China. Another example is that Jenny’s parent have worked in China since 2002.
Their two daughters are left in Taiwan. The parents selected good tradition girls’
accommodation schools that their kids both were boarders only on the weekends the kids came home in Taichung city. They were looked after by their aunts, their mother’s sisters, who lived nearby. Now the two daughters have attended in Taiwanese famous colleges and go to get together with their parents in Shanghai in winter and summer vacation.
From the above cases, in general, if Taiwanese parents leave their kids in Taiwan, they will still pay close attention to the school selection to ensure the school culture can mold kids good personality. Take Jenny’s parent for instance, since the parent both are
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daughters’ moral cultivation.
In the fieldwork procedure, we have observed one example. Mr. Chao worked in ceramic tile industry in 1996 in Shanghai. From 1996 to 2004, his two elder sons studied in Taiwan only the little son was brought with to China in 2004. Mrs. Chao and their little son moved to Shanghai to stay with Mr. Chao. Mrs. Chao has profound feeling to compare the cross strait different learning environments：
The thought and culture is more attractive in Taiwan, especially in Taipei city. Every time my son goes back to Taiwan for one month during his summer break, he doesn’t want to come back to Shanghai and even wants to transfer school back to Taipei. (interview2009072902)
Mrs. Chao didn’t bring their elder sons to study in China because they performed well in Taiwan, no matter in the aspects of character quality or learning. The two elder sons are the best portraiture of creative and flexible thoughts to study in Taiwan. In 2004, when Mrs. Chao brought the little son with to China, in order to safeguard his moral personality, she chose a key primary school to expect the average quality of classmates：
We let our little study in this key primary school. We could enter because my husband had relationship with a junior high school principal who made my son enter this key primary school. (interview2009072902)
From the case we are going to continue next section that is to bring children with to China. As the above mentioned, most Taiwanese parents in China stay their kids in Taiwan because they feel easy in mind about Taiwanese education and culture, to avoid their children learning to cut in a line or spit. Besides if they really need to bring their kids with to China, how will they deal with the non-controllable circumstances to safeguard their kids’ moral personality? Next section will analyze the concern of Taiwanese parents in China over their children’s study plan.
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