Childhood Education of the Aborigines

After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, the education of children differed based on ethnicity. Japanese studied in elementary schools with better teachers and facilities. Taiwanese were sent to second-tier public schools. Aboriginal children were sent to “foreign education centers” under the jurisdiction of the police stations. In 1904, the first foreign education center was established at the Tapangu tribal settlement in the Chiayi administrative region (Kagi Chō). Teachers were local policemen who focused on improving students’ Japanese comprehension, as well as simple agriculture, crafts, and sewing skills.
This picture is of a class held in the foreign education center in Jiaoban Mountain of Fuhsing Township in Taoyuan County. This center was established in 1909 and is now the Jieshou Elementary School.