10/03/2026
January 10, 2026 — Taiwan’s education system has long been dominated by Mandarin, leading to a steady decline in the Taiwanese-speaking population. With the official inauguration of the first public “Taiwanese Language Experimental Elementary School,” observers are watching closely to see if this can spark a turning point for the aging local language. 37-year-old Kaohsiung resident Huang Zi-wei grew up in a Taiwanese-speaking household. Now a father, he proactively creates a Taiwanese-speaking environment for his daughter, insisting that the elders in the family speak to her exclusively in the language. “Even before we had children, we decided we would speak Taiwanese to them. Back then, the thought was simple: since I know the language, it would be good for my child to learn one more skill.” Now six years old, his daughter, Xing-fei, speaks fluent Taiwanese and can chat with adults at markets and restaurants. However, the real challenge lies in the school system. Because Taiwan’s education is predominantly Mandarin-based, most children stop speaking Taiwanese once they start school. As Xing-fei prepared to enter elementary school last year, Huang was deeply concerned. Fortunately, Beiling Elementary School in Kaohsiung emerged as Taiwan’s first “Taiwanese Language Experimental Elementary School,” allowing students to receive an education within the formal system using Taiwanese as the primary language and Mandarin as a supplement. The school transitioned from a traditional model and is not close to the Huang family’s home in the Qiaotou District. However, after discussing it with his wife, the couple decided to spend over half an hour commuting each way every day to drop off and pick up their daughter in the Luzhu District, making her part of the first wave of freshmen since Beiling’s transformation.
