Greece vs Taiwan
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Greece
In Greece, children eat dinner at tavernas at 10 PM โ and nobody thinks they should be in bed.
Greek family life follows a Mediterranean rhythm where children are fully integrated into adult social spaces, and late nights are a feature, not a flaw, of childhood.
Taiwan
In Taiwan, cram schools (buxiban) are so common that streets around them have rush hour at 9 PM.
Taiwan's educational intensity rivals South Korea and Japan โ children's evenings are structured around supplementary classes that extend the school day well into the night.
Greece
School starts at age 6. Compulsory education covers 6 years of primary (dimotiko) and 3 years of lower secondary (gymnasio). Upper secondary (lykeio) is 3 years. The system is highly centralized, with curricula and textbooks set nationally.
Taiwan
Nine years of compulsory education plus a 12-year extension making senior high school nearly universal. The curriculum underwent major reform in 2019, adding elective courses and reducing mandatory content. Mandarin is the language of instruction, with Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, and indigenous languages offered.
Planning a move from Greece to Taiwan?
Get a personalised Family Integration Playbook โ your parenting style mapped to your destination's culture.
Get your playbook โ $99