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🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Taiwanese parents feel 'no choice' but to push children in 'rat race' education system

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Taiwanese parents feel compelled to enroll their children in numerous after-school learning centers to ensure they don't fall behind in a highly competitive academic environment.
  • Long working hours for parents often necessitate these learning centers for childcare, as neither parent can pick up their child from school.
  • The high cost of education, coupled with Taiwan's low fertility rate, creates a significant financial and emotional burden for families, impacting the country's future population.

In Taichung, Taiwan, nine-year-old Li Yueh-kai's evenings are packed, often not getting home until 9 pm after attending a local learning center filled with homework and practice worksheets. His mother, Sung Hsin-chieh, acknowledges the intensity is "too much" but sees few alternatives in a system where falling behind is a constant fear.

He is the busiest one in the whole family.

— Sung Hsin-chiehDescribing her nine-year-old son's demanding schedule.

Sung, a 40-year-old interior designer, believes pushing her son academically is necessary for him to have a "fair chance" at a comfortable life. The pervasive educational pressure means parents feel they "have no choice but to do what everyone else is doing." This sentiment is amplified by the parents' demanding work schedules, which prevent them from picking up their son from school.

The financial strain is considerable, with the couple spending at least NT$15,000 (S$610) monthly on learning center fees, plus NT$2,500 for school lunches and NT$10,000 annually for textbooks. Sung notes that many learning centers are even more expensive and difficult to get into, reflecting every parent's desire to provide the best for their children.

When you’re living here, and you’re part of this system, you have no choice but to do what everyone else is doing, or else you may fall behind.

— Sung Hsin-chiehExplaining the pressure to conform to the educational system.

Despite the financial burden, the couple owns their apartment, prioritizing a home of their own. To manage child-related expenses, they rarely dine out. Taiwan's total fertility rate has plummeted to 0.69, one of the world's lowest, with projections indicating a significant population decline by 2065. This hyper-competitive environment forces many young adults to question the worth of the financial and emotional costs associated with raising even one child.

In fact, there are many more learning centres in Taichung that cost much more, and you’re not necessarily guaranteed to get a place there even if you are willing to pay.

— Sung Hsin-chiehHighlighting the competitive and expensive nature of educational support services.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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