Education was part of it, yes.
Generically speaking -
Taiwan schools follow a more Confucian education model - the teacher teaches, the kids listen. Don't ask questions. You will understand why later. Sit still. We will go to the bathroom at the scheduled break. Etc... Art, music, play time, are often pushed aside for more time to study. After school you can go to English cram school. Sleep, repeat.
The US has traditionally followed a liberal arts model - being a well rounded student is more important than your math score. Being able to figure out a solution to a general problem is more important than fact memorization. The "why" of something is sometimes more important than getting the right answer.
There are pros/cons to both models.
With a very high energy child, we felt the US might be a better fit.
