The Finnish dormitory in Taichung, Taiwan, was a facility that was run by the Finnish Missionary Society in Taichung during the years 1968–1997. From 1973 on the dormitory was located within the campus of Morrison Academy. This dormitory was the subject of a master's thesis in pedagogy in Helsinki University in 1987.Ijäs 1987.

The dormitory was run by ca. 20 different Finnish missionaries, longest of whom served Seppo and Marja-Liisa Salko, who are the only employees there mentioned by Tapani Ruokanen in his 1978 bookRuokanen 1978, p. 286. as well as in the dissertation of Mirja Pesonen, which dealt with Taiwan as a mission field of the Finnish Missionary Society.Pesonen 1990 p. 130. The dormitory has been a subject of intense media interest in Finland in 1999, 2001 and 2013.

The following is a description of the dormitory mainly during the years 1968–80, which is the time period covered by Anne Ijäs in her 1987 master's thesis. No such account of the later years exists.

Background The Finnish Missionary Society began missionary work in Taiwan in 1956.Pesonen 1990: 36–37. The first family with children was sent there in 1959. The first Finnish child in the mission field became of school age in 1963, and he was enrolled in Morrison Academy, an American school that was located in Taichung. Morrison had been founded in 1952. By 1965, a total of four Finnish children attended Morrison, and they all lived in the dormitory of the school.Ijäs 1987, p. 9, 17.

The discussion leading up to the founding of the Finnish dormitory From 1965 on, the schooling of the Finnish missionary children in Taiwan began to be contemplated seriously. There were two alternatives: either a Finnish school would have to be founded on the island, or the children would have to attend Morrison, and a Finnish dormitory would be arranged for these children.

According to Ijäs, the following arguments were put forward in this discussion:Ijäs 1987, p. 19–20, 17.

Arguments for a Finnish school The arguments for a Finnish school were the following:

The school could be established in the area where the parents were working. This would mean that the children would have a better possibility of being acquainted with their parents’ work. No budget allotments would be needed for transportation expenses or for tuitions The instruction could be given in the native language of the children The subjects taught would be the same as in Finland Finnish identity and culture would be better represented

Arguments against a Finnish school The following arguments against a Finnish school were put forward:

The school would be small one, and therefore the academic standards would be poor The children would not learn English as well as in Morrison No high school grades could be included There would be a lack of competition among the students Not all the parents would want to put their children in a school like this

Arguments for Morrison Academy The following points were seen as positive with the children attending Morrison:

The children will learn English and They will become “world citizens”, so to speak Morrison was known to have high academic standards The children would have more friends in Morrison Morrison gives high emphasis to religion Attending Morrison, the children would have a possibility to enter Helsinki University

Arguments against Morrison Academy The following points were seen as negative with the children attending Morrison:

The children will become more American than Finnish The children will not learn the Finnish language Morrison has high tuition fees Trips from home to the school will take quite a lot to time and money The Finnish dormitory will be no substitute for the children's homes

The question of the school vs. dormitory is resolved The board of the mission field came to the conclusion that establishing a Finnish school on the island was a project that was too large in scale to be undertaken by the Finnish Missionary Society. It was also felt that after a four-year elementary school the families would have to return to Finland in order that the children could proceed with their education. Also the bad experiences of the Norwegians in Taiwan were taken into account. It was also pointed out that Morrison was widely known as “the best school in Asia.” When it was taken into account that the Christian world view of this school was similar to that of the missionaries and that at Morrison the children would learn “the universally useful English language”, the decision was made that the children would attend Morrison and live in a Finnish dormitory. However, even as late as 1970, the leadership of the mission society in Finland was still in favor of establishing a Finnish school on the island.Ijäs 1987, p. 20–22.

Premises

First premises The dormitory began its operation in rented premises in the autumn of 1968, with Miss Ursula Zidbeck as the head and only Finnish employee. The premises were small, but each of the six students had their own room, and the school was located within a few minutes’ walk from the dormitory. Thus the students came to the dormitory for their lunches.Ijäs 1987, p. 29, 36.

Second premises In the autumn of 1970, Miss Pirjo Lahti, a business college graduate, replaced Zidbeck. During Lahti's tenure, Morrison Academy had to relocate, as the city zoning was changed and a main road was planned right across the campus. The school moved to an area outside the city at the time, and the Finnish dormitory likewise moved to a place nearer the new location, again into rented premises. The distance to the school was now ca. five kilometers.

In 1971 the board of the mission field applied for money from the mission society in order to purchase a lot for a new dormitory. The board of the mission field agreed with the suggestion from Morrison that they build the dormitory on campus, on a lot given to them. One of the advantages of this decision was that the dorm would be in an area that was guarded by the school. This was a great advantage in a country where thefts were quite common.Ijäs 1987, p. 24–28.

While the dormitory still operated in rented premises, a new couple from Finland, Seppo and Marja-Liisa Salko, arrived in the autumn of 1971 to Taiwan to work in the dormitory. The missionaries in Taiwan had requested specifically for this kind of a couple. The plan was that they would begin immediately at the dorm, but as they had just had a baby, they spent their first year in language school, and Pirjo Lahti continued at the dorm. The Salkos began in the dormitory in the autumn of 1972, and Miss Lahti took on other responsibilities in Taiwan.Ijäs 1987, p. 36–38.

Permanent premises The mission board in Taiwan bought a triangular lot from Morrison for the new dormitory. It was located in the so-called Faculty Row. When making plans for the dormitory building, the Finnish missionaries turned to the head of the Finnish private school in Swakopmund, Namibia. The headmaster of the school in Swakopmund, Mr. Juhani Olanterä sent some suggestions in a letter he wrote to the Finns in Taiwan.

There were several twists and turns in the planning of the dormitory building. The first plans were made for a building that turned out to be too large for the lot. The floor plan also caused disagreements within the body of Finnish missionaries. For example, the excessively large number of entrances, at least five of them into the main building, caused controversies. In the end it was Seppo Salko who said the last word on the floor plan. The building included a Finnish sauna, separate bathrooms for boys and girls, and next to these, a room in which the children could play. In the summer of 1976, the boys’ bathroom was changed into a piano room, which was soundproof and was accessed from the room designated for children's playing. The floor plan of the building was published by Suomen Kuvalehti in 2001.Ijäs 1987, s. 22–23, 31–34.Plan of the dormitory

The construction work also had quite a few turns. A change was announced in city zoning regulations, to take effect in July 1973, and only those buildings that had a roof at that time were allowed to be completed. The mission headquarters made the decision to build the house only on 25 April 1973, and the construction was begun on 7 May 1973.

The official regulations on building were complex, and in addition to these difficulties, Salko only spoke Mandarin Chinese, whereas the construction workers spoke the Taiwanese dialect. The city zoning necessitated a special permit, and on top of everything else, the constructor was engulfed in gambling debts and left the work unfinished. Finally the building was completed on 15 December 1973, and the residents could move in.

In 1978 the premises were deemed too small for the number of children and adolescents living in the dorm, and thus a storehouse on the lot was converted into two additional rooms during the summer of that year. The students who lived there from then on were mainly highschoolers, boys and girls in alternating years.Ijäs 1987, p. 32–34.

Employees

Employees during 1968–1985

Permanent employees at the dormitory Employees Years Names References 1968–70 Ursula Zidbeck Ijäs 1987, p. 36. 1972–75 Seppo and Marja-Liisa Salko Ijäs 1987, p. 37–38.Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1974, p. 88. Joensuu, 1974.Me kaukana ja lähellä. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1975, p. 150 Ed. Tauno Väinölä. Joensuu, 1975. 1976–80 Tulevaisuuden Aasia. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1977, p. 148. Ed. Tauno Väinölä. 1977. .Oikeus evankeliumiin. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1978, p. 148. Ed. Jouko Räty. Helsinki 1978. .Kastamalla ja opettamalla. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1979, p. 155. Ed. Jouko Räty. Helsinki 1979. .Jumalan koulussa. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1980, p. 134. Ed. Kyllikki Valtonen. Helsinki 1980. . 1981–84 Jumalan käytössä. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1982, p. 106. Ed. Mirja Poutanen. Helsinki 1982. .Kaikkeen maailmaan. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1983, p. 113. Ed. Mirja Poutanen. Helsinki 1983. .Kristus lähettää. Suomen Lähetysseura 125 vuotta 1859–1984, p. 126. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1984. Ed. Mirja Poutanen. Helsinki 1984. .Kristus auttaa. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1985, p. 137. Ed. Leena Suominen. Helsinki 1985. . 1984–85 Seppo and Marja-Liisa Salko Leena-Riitta Karvinen

Temporary employees of the dormitory Employees Years Names References 1970–72 Pirjo Lahti Ijäs 1987, p. 36–37.Vain yksi nimi — Jeesus. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1973, p. 144. Helsinki, 1973. 1975–76 Simo and Tarja Lipasti Ijäs 1987, p. 39.Vastauksemme: lähetys. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1976, p. 149. Ed. Tauno Väinölä. Vaasa, 1976. 1977–79 Matti and Mervi NykänenIjäs 1987, p. 39. 1980–81 Pirkka and Liisa Mikkola Hyvä sanoma kaikille. Yearbook of the Finnish Missionary Society 1981, s. 146. Ed. Jouko Marttinen. Helsinki 1981. .

Permanent employees during 1985–1997