Compare International Schools in Tainan, Taiwan

IBST sits on the National Nanke International Experimental High School campus in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, Xinshi District, Tainan. The campus address is No. 1, Lane 888, Xilaya Blvd., Xinshi District, 744094, Taiwan. The school is located within Taiwan's science-park belt, adjacent to other research and tech facilities.

IBST serves students from Grades 1 through 12. The elementary grades are complemented by a secondary program (Grades 7–12) that operates on a college-preparatory, English-language model with Mandarin as a required component. In 2025–2026 the school profile notes 146 students across Grades 1–12, including 61 high school students.

IBST is a public, co-educational, college-preparatory program built on a western-style curriculum. It began as part of National Nanke International Experimental High School (NNKIEH) and serves students from primary through secondary levels on the NNKIEH campus.

Special Education Services are available. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed with input from special education staff, homeroom teachers, subject teachers, and parents. Supports may include curriculum modifications, assessment accommodations, social/learning-skills classes, and related therapies; generally, students remain in regular classes.

IBST does not have a formal country affiliation. It is a public school governed by Taiwan's Ministry of Education and the National Science and Technology Council and is located in Taiwan.

No religious affiliation is indicated; IBST operates as a secular public school.

The school day starts at 8:00 a.m. for Grades 1–12. G7–12 classes run 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on most days, while elementary students have a half-day on Wednesdays (dismissal at 12:40 p.m.); Grades 1–2 also have adjusted dismissal days on certain days.

IBST does not operate a dedicated school bus service. Transportation for students is managed through family arrangements, and the campus provides guidelines for student-owned vehicles (bicycles, motorcycles/electric motorcycles, electric bicycles) including parking permits, routes, safety rules, and speed limits.

IBST is the Bilingual Department of National Nanke International Experimental High School (NNKIEH), a public, multicultural, co‑educational school located in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. IBST enrolls 109 students from 14 nationalities out of NNKIEH's total 2,348 students; 83% of IBST parents hold advanced degrees.

IBST follows the MOE calendar with a two-semester, 200-day school year and a one-month winter break, and its curriculum aligns with a blend of North American and Taiwan national standards. It is a bilingual program with English instruction from grade 1 to 12 in total immersion, alongside a Mandarin Chinese program for Levels 1-12. Upper grades offer Honors and Advanced Placement tracks, including AP English Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, and AP Economics, with additional AP options in science and arts and access to VHS online courses. Standardized assessments include MAP for grades 2–8, PSAT 8/9 for grade 9, and PSAT-NMSQT for grades 10–11, with an English Language Learner (ELL) program targeted for 2025–26. Graduation for grades 9–12 requires 23 credits across core subjects (Chinese, English, Social Studies, Math, Science) plus PE and electives, four years of secondary schooling, attendance requirements, and associated awards guidelines for cohorts in G6, G9, and G12.

IBST's Student Support Team (SST) fosters students' academic, social, and emotional growth, with a Disciplinarian, Guidance Teachers, a Special Education Teacher, a Guidance Curriculum Teacher, and a College Counselor delivering a structured guidance curriculum and embedding Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) across classrooms.

Special Education Services provide IEP-based support for students who qualify after professional evaluation, including curriculum modifications, assessment accommodations, social skills training, and therapy (speech/occupational); ADHD, learning disabilities, language difficulties, and autism are cited as example needs, with generally integrated classroom support rather than a dedicated SEN resource.

An ESL program exists within Academic Affairs, and the School Profile states IBST offers an all-English program with Mandarin as a mandatory second language.

School Counseling is provided by professional counselors or on-campus psychologists; counseling is confidential except in cases of mandatory reporting, and sessions are typically held weekly with scheduling arranged to minimize impact on academics, in collaboration with parents and teachers.

Safeguarding is supported through confidential counseling practices and mandatory reporting where required, with information shared only among directly involved staff, and counseling not affecting academic records or future admissions.

1. Admissions eligibility and classification. Applicants must meet at least one of the eligibility categories defined in the regulations for the Science Park bilingual schools. Categories include: children of employees of resident Science Park units (with conditions related to nationality, prior residence abroad, and higher degree qualifications), children of foreign employees, children of employees dispatched abroad, and other cases such as siblings of current IBST students or foreign professionals meeting specified criteria. In addition, first-year applicants must be at least six years old by September 1. The “foreign residence” rule generally restricts annual stays outside the ROC to no more than three months per year. 2. Application windows and admission testing. For the first semester, the first round runs from April 30 to June 10, 2026, with the admission assessment on June 17, 2026. The second round runs from July 6 to August 11, 2026, with the admission assessment on August 11, 2026. For the second semester, applications open from November 30 to January 6. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria in the first item may also arrange admission testing through the school's bilingual office. 3. Required documents and fee. Eligible applicants must submit the application form, copies of passports for foreign applicants, and the student's up-to-date academic records. Other required items include proof of entry/exit dates, birth certificates or guardianship documents, a letter from the applicant's current employer (with proof of employment), and, for international applicants, copies of foreign residence permits. A qualification screening fee of 200 Taiwan dollars is charged; the fee is nonrefundable if the applicant does not pass the qualification screening. 4. Language entrance testing and admission. Once an applicant qualifies under the eligibility rules, they must pass the school's language entrance test to receive an admission qualification. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the available seats in a grade level, admissions are decided by a priority sequence, and when candidates at the same sequence exceed seats, a lottery is used to determine who is admitted. 5. Priority sequencing for oversubscription and lottery. The priority order prioritizes certain groups (e.g., children of resident Science Park employees with qualifying credentials) before other eligible applicants; after applying the priority order, if the volume still exceeds seats, a lottery determines admission for those tied in the same sequence. 6. Expansion of eligibility to fill seats. If a grade level has not reached 80% of its authorized enrollment after applying the above rules, the school may admit additional applicants under expanded eligibility categories to fill the remaining seats. 7. Post-admission steps. Those admitted are notified of acceptance and proceed to enrollment formalities; after acceptance, families complete enrollment tasks (textbook ordering, after-school club enrollment, field trip consent forms, and other items) and receive information for the first day of school. 8. Example of actual admissions outcomes. The school posts admission results and lists admitted students; an official notification is sent to parents confirming enrollment. 9. Language of instruction and program context. IBST operates as the Bilingual Department of NNKI EH in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, serving the English-speaking community with an American college-preparatory orientation; the program is described as bilingual, with English-language instruction central to IBST in support of its international population. 10. Contacts for admissions questions. For further information regarding admission, contact the IBST registrar by phone or email. 11. References to formal documents and guidelines. The eligibility and admissions process are governed by the Regulation Governing the Admission of Students to Bilingual Departments of Schools or Bilingual Schools at Science Parks and the related IBST guidelines and application forms.

IBST participates in at least one scholarship program connected to an external foundation. The Cardiac Children's Foundation offers a scholarship for IBST students, and details are provided by the foundation's program (the IBST listing directs interested families to the foundation's site for specifics). In 2024, IBST announced the Cardiac Children's Foundation scholarship, with additional details available from the foundation's website. The school's tuition policies govern general fee collection and refund terms, while the scholarship program is described separately through the foundation.

There is no traditional waitlist. When the number of applicants exceeds the available seats for a grade level, admissions are allocated in a defined priority order. If applicants tied in the same sequence exceed seats, a lottery determines admission. If seats remain after applying the priority order, the school may broaden eligibility to fill up to 80% of capacity through expansion rules. This approach effectively serves as a lottery-based selection rather than a standing waitlist.