Parent's Review of Taipei American School in Taipei
What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)
Taipei American School
In what town or city is this school located?
Taipei
How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)
American curriculum
What grade levels are represented at this school?
k-12
How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)
Bus, walk, driven
How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?
The facilities are old and many spaces are in the process of being updated. There are plenty of extra-curricular activities. The activities for K-5 are pricey and hard to get into at times. The school tends to be a hub of activity for both students and parents and is a popular place to just hang out.
What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?
Your child will be tested and to see if they fit the standards of the school and then you are either in or out. Not much is done to help expat kids transition if they are accepted. TAS has become more and more local over time with very little English being spoken except in classrooms. Students tend to be very click-ish making it hard for expat kids in particular to find their way.
The school is a laptop school 6 through 12. There is very little supervision of the computer usage in classes so there is a lot of gaming going on. There is a very heavy homework load so at times, kids are overloaded. On the positive side, the school works very hard to help high school students transition to college.
I do believe the LS has implemented a program to help kids repatriate but no such program exists in either the MS or US.
How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?
Great. PTA is friendly and helpful to new parents at the school
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?
I would suggest looking at all the other English speaking schools in Taipei before deciding which one works best for you and your children. TAS might be a good school for you but it does not serve all students.
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Comments about this Report
guestThis review is outdated. This a transition program in place in the MS to assist all new students. New US building opened in 2012; MS and LS expansion to happen in 2013. English is the most common language heard in hallways, playground and cafeteria. Many students attend K-12 so it can be hard for new students to join established friend groupings if they are shy and do not join in clubs/sports. MS has more club and sport opportunities than TES where my children previously attended. MS has implemented a transition program for new students; it was very helpful. Curriculum is advanced and expectations are higher than at other international schools in Taipei - my children were at TES previously.
apanCould you tell me the pros and cons of TAS vs. TES (British section), especially with regards to lower/middle elementary school years?
