A student's life in Asia

The life of a child here in Taiwan is led by rules, discipline and honor. The pressure I see bestowed upon these children daily is seriously incredible. My best students rise daily at 5am to begin their day of studying, school, extra school (buxiban) and homework, not returning home until 10pm at night. The hours they spend at home are busy with homework and studying for a single exam that will dictate the direction of the rest of their life upon its completion. This is no SAT, this is the high school entrance exam all Taiwanese kids must take. The results of this test will determine what high school they can attend which will determine which college, which will determine their future jobs. The results of this exam will also be the pride or chagrin of their parents. Mind you, these are the parents that they hardly see, who are off working hours upon hours to pay for their child's extensive education.

It is the end of the summer and summer vacation is coming to a close. Yet, most students have no stories of trips to the beach or picnics in the park, but only a summer spent in extra buxiban courses, at educational camps and doing more intense studying for their upcoming exam.

Since when did Asia decide that the responsibility free portion of life be taken away from their young population? I'm not sure, but this intense focus on education permeates society, and is now a way of life for nearly everyone except those too poor to afford it.

I've always cherished my childhood memories, my summers spent care-free, running around in the sunshine and outside in the sandbox all day. I'd return home wonderfully tanned and covered in filth to a big home cooked meal and make plans for what tomorrow's adventure would be. Sure, I had hardships too. After all I used to have to clean the bathroom and weed my garden in order to get my weekly allowance, which was eagerly spent with a bike trip to the town grocery store. Candy was a quarter and I could fill my bag to the brim with Fun Dip, the childhood equivalent to cocaine. But mostly I spent my days adventuring throughout nature, studying any new bug I came across and playing in the stream with my dog. My family would go to the lake, or out on the boat and some summers I even spent learning to ride horses and taking pottery lessons. I cannot begin to imagine the lessons I learned while playing in the neighbors cornfield, losing myself in nature and feeling overwhelmed by the beauty of the big blue sky above me. Perhaps with every breath of fresh air I was reminded of my small and inconsequential existence in this massive world, of the bigger things, the more important things in life. Or perhaps, more likely, I didn't learn a damn thing out there in that corn field except not to run around the day after the manure was spread. But at least I was allowed to experience that feeling of freedom, the lack of responsibility and time to explore on my own without dictation.

These kids will never have that, they will never have endless days to explore all that is around them, through touching, smelling and playing, not studying. They'll never get to let their curiosity run wild and guide them to learn about what they choose. Arts, sports and music are pushed to the wayside here, for there's not enough time in the day to study for 15hrs and do a sport as well.

One of my favorite students, Linda, is a perfect example of how different our two worlds are. She slowly shuffles her way into class every Tuesday night, 20 minutes late, looking disheveled and exhausted. She tries not to fall asleep as class ends at 9. She studies hard and has good sense of humor, so she does well in class considering her lack of energy. This weekend she graduated her 16th level of English studies. While other students posed for photos with their diplomas, she helped me clean up and when asked how she'd celebrate her graduation, she said she'd be studying all weekend, and every weekend, until her high school entrance exam was taken. This exam doesn't take into account that she's a budding female Tiger Woods or that she's woken up at the crack of dawn for the last year to fit all of her studies, including extra English class and practice into each day. This exam will only acknowledge what she has memorized at that moment, on that day. She said that her mother has never really approved of her love for golf and that scholarships for that kind of thing aren't really available, so its a waste in most respects. But its the one thing she loves, so she'll keep making it fit into her schedule as along as she can. Once she finds out what high school she tests into, she may find that playing golf is no longer feasible for her. She won't return to English class this new semester and as sad as I am to see her go, I hope that she can make some use of the extra four hours a week she gains, by sleeping or playing golf, but I know she'll most likely spend it studying.

And to think, when I was her age, the most pressing matter of the day was what to wear on my first day of high school, and where the hell my locker was.

Even at a younger age like 2 or 3, when I was probably still in diapers and crying for my mommy, Taiwanese kids are already feeling pressure to perform. Of the 20 2-3 year olds I teach daily, nearly all of them can take off and put on their own shoes, feed themselves (this entails pulling out their own bowl and spoon, cleaning them off after and putting them away), go to the bathroom themselves (I mean it, no help wiping even) and are responsible for themselves in more ways than most 6 year olds in the U.S. are. Currently they all know their colors, numbers, alphabet and emotions, all this in a second language. They come in each morning stating "I am angry" or "Today is Sunny and hot". All of which blows me away everyday. To think a child not even up to my waist can do all of these things is incredible to me. But to the parents, it's just what they expect of their pride and joy and many expect even more. One student's father has told me if she can memorize and recite the alphabet clearly (of her 2nd language, at AGE 2) she can go to Disneyland. She knows everything but forgets the letter X sometimes. Another parent complains to me hat his 2 year old doesn't fully understand the meaning behind the full sentences she's learned like, "This is a zebra." As if I could teach a 2 year old what it means to 'be' let alone what it means to be a zebra. Its absolutely insane, but alas, this is Taiwan.

You'd think the children of Asia would be on the verge of mental collapse, that the pressures placed on them by society and their families would be too great for their small shoulders to carry, but they know no different and all their friends do exactly the same. Most children even display an innate sense of maturity, that motivates them to learn a new language no matter how much extra homework and studying it involves. Instead of crying or whining over the long hours of studying, they find joy in a good grade or a classroom friendship. They find time to pass notes and discuss crushes and I've even seen them laugh until tears rolled down their cheeks. Amazingly, they're not unhappy children. In fact, I think they're very happy and are able appreciate the little things more than any spoiled American child ever could.

Will the youth of Taiwan look back 10 years from now and question where their childhood went? Will they wish they spent their Saturday mornings watching cartoons and eating sugary cereal? I think not. They'll remember their friends from school, their crushes and inside jokes; and maybe even their English teachers and they'll do it all in perfect English.