I would want to say “Happy Summer Holidays”… but “holidays” and Taiwan in one sentence don’t really seem to exist 😅
Why? Let me tell you…
My son has just finished second grade in Taiwan, and every year I find myself comparing his school life with what I remember from growing up in Poland. The differences still surprise me, sometimes even shock me.
My own elementary school schedule was usually 8:00–12:25, and even in high school it was typically 8:00–14:10. On some days we even finished at 12:30. There was still time left in the day to simply be a kid outside of school.
We also had two proper meal breaks. Around 9:30–9:45 there was what we called a “second breakfast,” and later a lunch break from 13:10–13:30. It created a clear rhythm to the day, and school never felt like it consumed everything.
Here in Taiwan, the rhythm feels completely different...
Even in elementary school, the schedule is already long. Right now my son’s school day usually runs from 7:30 to around 12:30, with one day finishing at 15:30. But starting from Grade 3, it will be 15:30 most days of the week, with only one day finishing at 12:30 and one at 13:50.
And on top of that, he stays in after-class care to finish homework. That alone extends his day even further, sometimes until around 17:10.
So in reality, he spends most of his day at school.
And unlike in Poland, there is usually only one meal break, and children aren’t allowed to bring food from home! That makes the day feel even longer, especially for young kids.
What surprises me most is that even though school officially starts at 7:30, I often see children leaving home at 6:30 already fully ready for the day. And many don't back home until 20:00-21:00 when they finish cram school.
Then comes the part that made me laugh (and cry a little).
Summer homework arrived.
More than 60 pages 😭
So… summer holiday? Are we sure?
At the same time, on Tuesday and Wednesday Adrian was still writing end-of-year exams! I never had that lol
So even in the final days before the holiday officially starts, there are still exams happening and summer homework is already waiting.
In Poland, the end of the school year feels completely different. Many children barely attend the last 2 weeks because teachers have already finished giving final grades. The year slowly winds down instead of stretching into more exams and assignments.
Even Adrian’s exam level surprised us. My husband looked at the Chinese sections and said it felt more like Grade 4 material than Grade 2! So it’s not only me feeling that the expectations can be intense.
For me, the comparison is clear: this feels more like the workload I remember from junior high school than elementary school, except maybe for the final exam in Grade 6 (now Grade 8 after elementary and junior high were combined).
We didn’t have constant exams and endless homework. Even in high school there was no summer homework. Seriously - none!
On top of that, family life also shapes how all of this feels.
My husband works in another city most of the time and often stays in hotels. After 8 years in Taiwan, I feel like we’ve only actually spent around 4 of those years living together normally. He’s always somewhere else for work, always moving between cities.
So when I look at my son’s daily routine - long school hours, after-class study time, homework, exams, and early mornings, it all adds up quickly.
Winter somehow feels even sadder. By the time Adrian finishes after-class study, it’s already getting dark. Although Taiwan doesn’t have huge seasonal daylight changes like Poland, seeing kids come home when the day is already ending still makes school feel endless.
In the end, it’s just two very different systems and two very different ideas of what childhood, school, and free time should look like.
So instead of saying: Happy summer holidays ☀️
Maybe here it’s more like: Good luck with your summer assignments 😆
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