Elementary school = K -6
Junior high = 7-9
High school = 10-12
University = Four years
Grad school = Two years
As terrible as it is to say the word "university," here you really can't say college, as that means something very specific. College is a school that you can go to starting in 10th grade, and it is five years long. Basically it's high school and then two years of university education. I've also heard conflicting answers as to what happens at the end. Some people say that you have the equivalent of a university degree, others say that you can then go to university for the final two years. If it's the former than it seems college is good as you do two fewer years of schooling. I'm assuming the truth is you get a degree that says you've gone through an advanced education program, and are able to use it to also get jobs that say they require a university education. But I think the fact that i haven't gotten a straight answer, shows just how convoluted the system is.
College's can actually be pretty good, as many of them focus on just one subject. Meaning that you are getting your normal education while also majoring in a specific subject for five years. Because of this there are a few colleges which have programs better than that of most universities. There are two or three colleges which have the top ranked English programs in the country, above those of even the best universities. I can say I know one person whose English was very low level and then after a little over a year in a college that specializes in English, had a larger improvement in English than I've ever seen anybody else make.
There are also vocational schools which teach general knowledge as well as practical skills such as car repair, electrician, etc. Although I'm not sure that the fact that in America the average electrician makes more than the average doctor, is also true in Taiwan, but given the economy it seems like sending your kid to a vocational school is the best thing to do. There are also technical schools. And with so many types of schools, I couldn't really tell you how it differs from all the others.
Two final things of note. Med school is a much shorter time in Taiwan than it is in the west. Also from what I've been told there is no such thing as Law school. Students just major in law in university, then after they graduate they are able to take a test to be a licensed attorney.
The picture above is of a local college. They are in the middle of their morning exercises. It's actually rare for me to go this way in the morning, as my dog doesn't enjoy their loud noises. It seems like where we go on our various walks throughout the day is dictated by what area of the neighborhood is the quietest at that time.
