Penang is a beautiful isle whose wide, clean streets, tranquil beaches, and lush greenery invite comparisons to an enormous garden. When the island's deep water port, international airport, and plentiful supply of cheap labor are considered, it is clear why Penang has received so much attention from foreign investors. With its 70% Chinese population, Penang has thus been a magnet to Taiwan investors as they look to invest their capital abroad.

Starting with a cable company's establishment of a factory in 1971. Taiwanese companies have swarmed to Penang in recent years until today the 293-square kilometer island houses the firms of over 130 Taiwan businessmen, employing more than 40,000 local inhabitants. This gives the island the highest density of Taiwanese foreign investment in the world. Including families, it has an expatriate Taiwanese community of over 500 people.

"I had a lot of trouble adjusting at first," recounts Mrs. Lin, who came here from Taipei eight years ago with her whole family. She says there are few types of vegetables for sale and they are not fresh or tender enough. The roots aren't even cut off, and they are still wrapped in leaves or newspaper. "When I first came to such a remote place I was very unhappy."

However, Mrs. Lin slowly came to appreciate the friendliness of the locals, be they Malay, Indian, or Chinese. "I especially like that they're not petty or dishonest," she says. Everyone is relaxed and up-front with each other, with none of the coldness or remoteness, none of the tenseness of city dwellers. Moreover, transportation and air quality are much better than in Taipei. "Nine out of ten people from Taiwan will like Penang," Mrs. Lin states. Mrs. Du, another spouse of a Taiwan businessman, sees Penang's appeal in a different way: "Men like to come to Penang because there is nowhere for their wives to buy things and spend money!"

In any event, husbands and wives alike are distressed when it comes to solving the problem of giving their children a good education.

The Headache of Children's Education: Businessmen who grew up under Taiwan's strict, demanding educational system are uncomfortable with local education, whose half-days of class and free teaching methods go back to the colonial period. These conditions make it difficult for children to transfer to other schools later on. In order to deal with this problem, it is common for the wife and children to stay in Taiwan while the husband flies back and forth; if the whole family goes to Penang they must settle for a local Chinese or English school. However, the Chinese schools, which teach Malay, English, and Chinese, use simplified characters, putting the children under a lot of pressure. Meanwhile, education at the English schools is conducted entirely in English, making it hard for the children to adjust. Not only do they encounter educational stumbling blocks due to their inferior comprehension, but they have trouble making friends. "Parents don't understand English, so they can only stand by anxiously," says Mrs. Wang. Schools will give remedial attention to students who can't keep up, but it is scheduled during normal school hours. "That way, students will never be able to catch up."

When his livelihood has moved overseas while his children's education remains an unsolved problem, no father, whether he is the boss or an employee, will be complacent.

In March of 1990, two surveys taken of the 270 members of the Taipei Investors' Association in Malaysia revealed that 90% of the respondents supported the idea of setting up a primary school in Malaysia conforming to Taiwan's educational system, curriculum, and teacher qualification standards. And according to the questionnaire, at least 230 businessmen would want to send their sons and daughters to this sort of school.

The decision was thus made to establish such a school, with the Taipei Investors' Association in Malaysia in charge. Penang was chosen as the site because 48% of members' investments were located on the island.

Testing Heat Resistance: Why not combine the elementary school with a high school? Mrs. Wu, whose husband was engaged to come here to work, says that most workers who, like they, are here only for a short time, plan to send their children back to Taiwan for their secondary education. Meanwhile, Taiwanese who are in Penang for the long term believe their children had best go to a Chinese primary school to prevent them from learning English first and then not wanting to learn Chinese. They can then take up an English education in high school, which will prepare them to go abroad for their university degree. Hence, there is no great need for a Chinese high school.

The Penang Taiwan School Planning Committee set up by the Taipei Investors' Association in Malaysia began collecting funds last November. It received contributions from over one hundred individual and corporate investors, including, Acer Sertek Inc., and TECO Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. Contributions totaled about 500,000 ringets, or NT$5 million. On February 7, 1991, the Malaysian government approved the school, and on the 25th of the same month, the school officially opened.

Before classes started, a lot of consideration went into the matter of whether classes should run all day, or only half the day. A whole day would be necessary to conform to the Taiwanese system, but Malaysian primary schools only have half-days of classes--the reason given is that the weather is too hot, limiting learning efficiency. So, a member of the schoolbuilding committee decided to run an experiment to test the feasibility of full-day classes. He told two students to memorize some study material each afternoon, including selections from the Analects, T'ang poems, and the 900 English sentence patterns. He told his wife not to turn on the air conditioning or let them nap--if they felt hot, they were told to get up and splash cold water on their faces. Every day, he collected the results of their studies to find how well they could resist the summer heat.

Three months of this experiment proved that the local weather did not affect the students' efficiency. "Now, the two of them are quoting Confucius left and right, and using insults from the Analects," laughs his wife.

From this little anecdote, and from their efficiency in setting up the school, it is clear that the local Taiwanese investors are conscientious, observant people.

High Aspirations for a Small School: The newly established Penang Taiwan School is currently renting a set of buildings located behind the local Hangjiang Chinese High School. They contain a principal's office, a computer room, a library, a teacher's lounge, and eight other rooms. In addition to the principal, the school employs 16 teachers and six other workers, and enrolls over 132 students The school, though small, is complete and self-contained.

Chen Chang-Zong, the school's principal, grew up in Penang and has 21 years experience as an educator and principal. He is fluent in Chinese, English, and Malay. The school has three primary missions: to provide instruction in native Chinese so that the sons and daughters of Taiwan businessmen won't forget the tongue of their mother country, to offer educational standards at a par with those in Taiwan, and to provide skills training so that students won't be left behind by the movement toward internationalization. The latter was the motivation for the school's stress on English and computers in its curriculum.

The school building committee has also paid great attention to security concerns. This is because Taiwanese businessmen generally belong to a high economic stratum and make obvious targets--they are justified in being careful. Also, as Mrs. Ho points out, "We're living in a foreign country after all, so even though Penang is a pretty safe place, we should pay attention to security." School gates are thus securely locked while school is in session, and grounds are patrolled by school personnel. A school bus is available to transport the children before and after school. Finally, the teachers take turns in seeing the children onto the bus or making sure their parents come to pick them up; only after the last student leaves can they go home themselves.

Moving Ahead in Tandem With Taiwan: The year is not divided into four seasons in Malaysia. The temperature rises above 30 degrees centigrade (86 Fahrenheit) all year round. In order to allow air to flow freely, the school buildings don't have ordinary doors and windows, but rather are surrounded by a low wall (reaching only partway to the ceiling) which lets air flow through, but keeps the children from looking out and getting distracted.

Classes at the Penang Taiwan Elementary School begin every morning at 8:20. Students eat lunch and rest from 1:00 to 2:30. During this time, old men from the Hangjiang high school service society bring baskets of lunch boxes (freshly made, since natural food spoils quickly). If students are still hungry, they may also buy tea at sixty Malaysian cents, sand-wiches at thirty cents, or oreo cookies at twenty cents.

"Children are always precious to their parents," says Principal Chen. The majority of the parents of the school's students have university degrees and place a high value on education. Naturally, an orderly life is also important to them.

The foremost requirement of parents who emphasize the quality of education is that teachers are well-qualified. Ninety percent of the teachers are university graduates who are either Malaysians educated in Taiwan or who are Taiwan natives. In the area of teaching methods, the school is cooperating with the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Associated Experimental Primary School in implementing advanced educa tional techniques. The Penang School has engaged the principal of the NTNU experimental primary school and three of its teachers to come to Penang to serve as models for the Penang School's teachers (most of whom were formerly high school teachers); moreover, the two schools plan to hold same-day joint tests sometime in the future to compare the students' study achievements in the two schools. According to fifth grade teacher Shi Ming, a graduate of Cheng Kung University and wife of an overseas Chinese, "The students have to pass the NTNU Primary School test as well as the local English high school entrance exam before they officially graduate." Principal Chen adds that the school plans to add a television, VCR, and other educational aids in order to make class more lively and interesting.

Fewer students, more Intense Environment: So how are these future business executives adjusting to the new school?

"All the students are so intelligent!" says Principal Chen with a mixture of gratification and uneasiness. Due to good genes and an environment conducive to learning, these youngsters are vigorous, bright-eyed, healthy, and brimming with self-confidence as they engage the visitors in conversation. "Comparing them, the local children are more simple and straightforward, while the ones from Taiwan are more spirited, more apt to communicate or even debate with the teacher," Says Shi Ming, who has also taught at local schools.

"Students from Taiwan tend to use gentler colors, while local students use brighter ones," says Teacher Zeng Minjie, a graduate of NTNU's art department. When students are allowed to draw freely whatever they like, local students usually draw common images of Malaysian life, while Taiwan students tend toward more imaginative themes like space ships and Ninja Turtles.

Scholastic pressure and anxiety has certainly not hindered these students' imaginations!

"Summer vacation won't start until August this year," explains Principal Chen, "since school didn't start until February." In order to keep pace with Taiwan, the school must complete a whole year's curriculum in only seven months. "There is a test after every lesson is finished--that's even more than Taiwan," complains a first grader, his voice garbled from the loss of his baby teeth.

There is also a special class at the school for students who went to junior high in Taiwan and need to prepare for the entrance exams for the local English schools. For Ai Kejin and the other three students, the pressure is intense: "The English schools don't accept students over 15 years old," says the 13-year-old Kejin with frustration. The written and oral tests are both very demanding. She has only been here for four months, and already dreams of stealing an airplane ticket back to Taiwan. "You can only wear summer clothes here because the weather never changes at all. And you can't buy Ferrero-Rocher chocolate here." This is what the still-childlike Kejin says as she repeatedly glances at her watch and thinks of what her old friends in Taiwan must be doing in school now.

A Basic Training Class for the International VIP's of the Future: The biggest problems the students at the Penang Taiwan School have are in adjusting to a new environment and meeting their scholastic obligations. However, the pressure of academic competition is even more direct at the local English schools. Principal Chen laughs. "Some of the English primary schools are even afraid we'll steal away their students, so they are also planning to open Chinese classes."

In July of this year, the Ministry of Education officially recognized the Penang Taiwan School. This means that whatever their grade level, students who are studying at the school may return to Taiwan to continue their studies where they left off. The dramatic success of the Penang school has prompted Taiwanese businessmen located in Kuala Lumpur to request the Penang Taiwan School Committee to oversee the founding of a branch school in Kuala Lumpur. Businessmen in Thailand have also started making inquiries. . .

This small school may not look like much, but under the dedicated handling of its caretakers, it just may be the basic training class for the international VIP's of the future.

[Picture Caption]

The students of the Penang Taiwan School impress visitors with their liveliness and intelligence.

Founded by Taiwanese Overseas Investors this year in Penang, Malaysia, the school's system is modeled after Taiwan's. Its small size belies the high quality of its students.

A mix of old and new structures characterizes Penang's cityscape.

The afternoon is used mostly for physical education and exercise so students won't be prone to nap.

Penang is a beautiful isle that has attracted the interest of investors worldwide.

Hey, the computer teacher isn't here yet! Let's play video games!

Classrooms are separated like this to provide air circulation and reduce the heat.

With the interests of their children in mind, parents often exchange views with the teachers and principal.

Ethnic Chinese comprise 70% of Penang's population. In recent years, it has grown to have the highest density of Taiwanese foreign investment in the world.

Founded by Taiwanese Overseas Investors this year in Penang, Malaysia, the school's system is modeled after Taiwan's. Its small size belies the high quality of its students.

A mix of old and new structures characterizes Penang's cityscape.

The afternoon is used mostly for physical education and exercise so students won't be prone to nap.

Penang is a beautiful isle that has attracted the interest of investors worldwide.

Hey, the computer teacher isn't here yet! Let's play video games!

Classrooms are separated like this to provide air circulation and reduce the heat.

With the interests of their children in mind, parents often exchange views with the teachers and principal.

Ethnic Chinese comprise 70% of Penang's population. In recent years, it has grown to have the highest density of Taiwanese foreign investment in the world.