Experimental elementary schools have become increasingly popular in Taiwan. There are seven such schools in the southern city of Tainan alone, more than in any other city.
The schools offer students a fun, diverse, and less-than-traditional program. For instance, some focus on nature and ecology and others provide bilingual education.
These are students at Simen Experimental Elementary School. The school offers bilingual education in Chinese and English. Students here are happy to introduce their school to visitors in English.
Another experimental school in Tainan offers a course on tree-climbing. Located near a forest, the school has turned the woods into a classroom where children can learn about nature and ecology in a fun way.
One student here says that besides tree-climbing and the usual core curriculum, there are also courses on topics like glove puppetry and kayaking.
In the puppetry course, children make cloth puppets and do the needlework themselves. They are happy to demonstrate everything they’ve learned to visitors.
Over the years, experimental education has received tremendous support from parents. Simen Experimental Elementary School principal Lu Tsui-ling says the school has seen full enrollment over the past two years.
