Nearly 80 percent of parents are worried about their children falling behind at school, while close to 20 percent of children under 12 do not finish after-school classes until 8pm, a study by the Child Welfare League Foundation showed today.
As a new school year is set to begin on Monday, the foundation conducted an online survey of 1,090 parents of children under 12, finding that 65 percent of children attend cram schools and extracurricular classes.
Among the nearly 60 percent of children enrolled in extracurriculars, 46.2 percent take just one, while 35.7 percent take two and 18.1 percent take three or more, the foundation said as it shared its annual report on parents’ anxiety levels.
Photo courtesy of the Child Welfare League Foundation
With summer study camps popping up across the country, up to 60 percent of parents send children as young as six — before beginning first grade — to preparatory classes and phonics lessons, it said.
Taiwan’s competitive education system is not only pressuring children, but is also leaving parents anxious to keep up, as nearly 60 percent of parents surveyed spend several thousand to more than NT$10,000 a month on extra learning for their children, it said.
More than 90 percent reported that the classes place a burden on family finances, especially those with two or more children, it added.
About 66.2 percent of parents reported feeling anxious when their child does not perform as expected, the foundation said, adding that the more parents spend on extracurriculars, the more preoccupied they become with their child’s education.
Almost 50 percent of parents surveyed said they felt pressure to “not make mistakes,” and 64 percent often worry they are not measuring up, reporting that constant comparison and a lack of information leave them anxious, it said.
About 96.1 percent of parents said they enjoy spending quality time with their children, although 38 percent believe their children are their primary cause of stress and 31.9 percent said that if they could start over again, they would choose not to have children, it said.
About 74.8 percent of parents wish they could receive additional financial support, while 55.9 percent hope for improved educational resources, 40.8 percent want better childcare resources and 36.7 percent would like more workplace flexibility, the foundation said.
Meanwhile, 41.2 percent hoped for a more supportive social environment, it added.
To relieve the burden on parents, the foundation suggested extended childcare policies, special tax deductions and increased tax benefits for families with school-age children.
It pointed to Japan and South Korea, where childcare allowances cover school-age children and create incentives for businesses to support parents.
In the US, lower grades rely more on teacher observations and class presentations than a rigorous exam culture, it added.
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