Located at the foot of Tiger Mountain in Taipei, the Taipei French International High School (Lift) has welcomed students from CP to sixth grade since the start of the school year in August 2022. Five classrooms and a refectory are dedicated to it on the top floor of the Li Gong Junior High School, Taiwanese bilingual high school. “We worked with the Taiwanese Education Bureau, which identified establishments that could accommodate us,” explains the director of Lift since 2023, Anthony Belin. On March 8, 2024, it is a day of debate for the 85 students of the French high school. “We are organizing events for Women’s Rights Day. It is important to us to convey values and stimulate discussion between students, and in three different languages: French, English and Mandarin. »
The story of Lift began like that of many French high schools abroad. “Parents who had educated their children at the Taipei European School set up this French school project in order to offer a new teaching offer in French,” says Anthony Belin. The same year, the establishment was approved by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). “We are registered as an experimental school in Taiwan,” explains the director. This allows us to welcome Taiwanese students, as well as foreign students. » For the moment, the majority of students are dual French-Taiwanese nationals: “They represent around three quarters of our numbers”, specifies the head of the establishment.
Multilingualism and inclusiveness
However, the Lift educational system also attracts Taiwanese families, attracted by the support offered by the establishment: multilingual environment, French program but also inclusion of students with special educational needs. “I often receive families who are interested in our support system for their children with autism, attention disorders, etc. They represent approximately 10% of our students. This is one of the missions we have given ourselves, that of welcoming everyone.”
The adaptation of the twelve teachers to these inclusion issues is currently mainly based on “self-training” and “collective reflections” according to Nezli Hafiz-Khodja, CE1 teacher. She is one of 50% of international teachers, the rest of the staff being recruited locally. The teaching staff holds weekly meetings on Wednesday afternoons, during which they brainstorm ways to improve the education system. “One of the major challenges is the promotion of trilingualism,” specifies the director. The Lift currently offers two distinct pathways: a French and English program, and a French and Mandarin program, although all students have classes in all three languages, as well as comparative language study sessions. Beyond these reinforced language lessons, the students are all mixed in the classes, with the exception of the “neo-French-speaking” section. “It’s a ‘bridge’ class for students who did not speak French when they arrived. From next year, they will be mixed with other students but we thought it would be more reassuring for them to learn the basics before following the same lessons as the already French-speaking students. »
“Step by step” development
Currently, only the elementary section – from CP class to CM2 class – of the Lift is approved by the AEFE. “We are gradually opening the college: we are currently in the sixth year and the opening of the fifth year is planned for the start of the 2024/2025 school year,” explains the head of the establishment. We preferred to work step by step, because it is a more financially secure strategy. » The director specifies, however, that they plan to apply for approval at the opening of the fourth class. “As the college is not yet approved, families do not have access to school scholarships. In the meantime, we are considering a basic solidarity system that would help families in difficulty. »
Tuition fees amount to 380,000 NTD – or around 10,000 euros – per year, excluding the canteen and extracurricular activities. For comparison, the Taipei European School charges double, as do other private bilingual institutions like the Taipei American School. This also constitutes an entry point for parents looking for bilingual training for their children. Beyond tuition fees, which cover school expenses, Lift receives one-off donations from businesses or individuals. “These donations are used for all our investment projects,” explains the director. The next short-term project: install the middle school part of the Lift in another establishment, more spacious and better equipped.
