Interview with Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates
What kind of education method can encourage children to explore their world freely? In 2003, Tim Chen and his wife Dorota Chen-Wernik had seen enough of Taiwan’s spoon-feeding education system and decided to take their 6-year-old daughter Zosia on a path of self-study, allowing her to have autonomy over her own learning process and to engage with her Polish culture.
Ever since then, Tim Chen, has been called “Taiwan’s Godfather of Homeschooling,”as he has been an ardent advocate of home schooling. He shares his family’s experiences and is instrumental in promoting the passing of the Three Laws on Experimental Education. His three children were all home-schooled, and their experiences have served as a guiding light for families interested in self-directed education.
Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates.
What is experimental education? Tim cleverly likens home schooling or experimental education to a self-guided tour. The child can plan out their journey based on their own interests and pace. While the child may veer off the path or encounter obstacles, the detours may lead to unexpected scenery; eventually, the child will find their own way.
In contrast, traditional education is like traveling with a tour group. The teacher acts as a tour guide, leading students on a predetermined itinerary. The students are not allowed to wander off or linger for too long on something that has piqued their interest. In the end, the students are not encouraged to think for themselves, only to follow the teacher’s instruction and plans, eventually resulting in students losing their own proactiveness.
Parents as learners are the key to successful experimental education
photo by pexels
In the past, only a small number of children are home schooled, and they were often unfairly labeled as “problem children“. Now times have changed, and more parents are taking their children on a self-guided journey of learning and exploring alternative paths. In Taipei City alone, more than 1,000 children and their families have chosen to engage in home schooling each year.
Engaging in home schooling or experimental education is not a path to be taken lightly. It may not always be smooth sailing to freedom, and the responsibility of education does not rest on the teacher. Instead, parents will face a transition period going from traditional education to experimental education, during which they need to commit more time to their children.
Tim suggests that both parents and children need to set their sights on bigger objectives and discard traditional education system benchmarks typically used in measuring progress, such as grades, class ranking, and blind obedience to authority. Parents also need to become learners, exercising patience and devoting more time to discover their children’s strengths and rethinking the roles they will play in the world of the future. In Tim’s experience, it takes on average three to six months for parents and children to fully adjust and to regain their motivation for self-learning. Slowly, parents will begin to see the transformative effects of home schooling on their child.
True experimental education has not yet begun
photo by pexels
What kind of talent does the future need? No one can say for certain. All we know is that students must have the ability to face the unknown and the motivation to explore it. It is exactly for this purpose that educational reform in recent years have sought to undo the spoon-fed or cramming feature of the current school system. However, that is easier said than done. Tim, who was a member on the advisory committee for education reform, believes that experimental education can lead the way and offer a tangible example of what traditional school systems can do. He points out,
“Experimental education or self-study can nudge traditional education into changing for the better. By showing them that change is not as hard as it seems or that overcoming obstacles can lead to interesting results, we are offering the existing education system an opportunity to transform itself!”
Tim has even proclaimed that “true experimental education has not yet begun.” Current curriculum design reflects our past experiences; to prepare for the future, we need to think outside the existing framework and adapt to the changing world more quickly and flexibly.
“Education should be constantly evolving as we pursue shifting objectives. We cannot afford to rest on the laurels of past education reforms.”
In Tim’s opinion, the framework for future public education should shift from vertical to horizontal integration. Furthermore, existing education institutions should be deconstructed. Tim believes that “the education authority should be supervisory and not the provider of education.” Perhaps, communities, villages, and tribes can adopt the school board system that is so popular abroad, so as to develop suitable education styles that reflect localized features.
Technology can be utilized to integrate resources horizontally so that every child can be supported and guided on their learning journey in their own way, with no child left behind.
Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support
The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.
Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.
“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”
Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles,
“In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”
Text: Yi-Yun Li
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
This article is an excerpt from Y2 2021 Annual Report.