Chiayi County establishes Montessori teacher training base

Chiayi County has established a new international Montessori teacher training base at Meilin Elementary School in Xikou Township. This initiative aims to bring Montessori training resources for children aged 6-12 to southern Taiwan, reducing geographical and cost barriers for local educators.

The training program, running from June 2026 to January 2028, utilizes a “dual classroom” model. While the AMI Taipei Training Center leads the northern classroom, the southern classroom in Chiayi operates simultaneously through a combination of in-person instruction and live streaming. This allows teachers in both regions to receive consistent professional guidance.

The project is a public-private partnership funded by a 2.18 million TWD investment from the Chiayi County Government and a 1 million TWD sponsorship from the International Montessori Education Foundation.

Chiayi County plans to expand this educational model significantly. Following the implementation at Meilin Elementary School, Xikou Junior High School is scheduled to transform into Taiwan’s first public Montessori junior high school next year, creating a continuous public Montessori education system from kindergarten through junior high.