Where to Send Your Child for School in China

Where to Send Your Child for School in China
Nov 16, 2009 By Jessica A. Larson-Wang, www , eChinacities.com

Our son just turned two years old, and like most parents of toddlers, the decision of whether or not to send him to preschool next year, and if we decide to send him, send him where, looms large in our minds. Most Chinese kids start preschool around age three, but some start as early as two and a half, and all parents in China, Chinese and foreign alike, agonize over what sort of school they should send their child to. While our child is still young, and, if we choose not to send him doesn’t have to start school for at least another three or four years, the school question is always in the back of our minds as something that could potentially influence the direction of our lives for years to come.


Photo: Jeremy 白杰瑞

Foreign parents in China are faced with more choices than Chinese parents when it comes to choosing a school for their children. We must take language and culture into account, and decide, of all the different types of schools out there, which type is right for our child. Many international schools in China only accept foreign passport holders, so the decision for Chinese parents is not quite as complex. Most Chinese parents will not look outside of their own public school system, which is arguably the best choice for Chinese students who will eventually be bound for Chinese colleges.

The goal of the Chinese public education system is to prepare a child for the numerous standardized tests which will determine the child’s academic future, leading up to the mother of all tests, the gao kao, China’s college entrance exam. For the many Chinese parents who envision Peking or Tsinghua University as the ideal for their children there is very little doubt a top notch Chinese public school will be the best place to prepare them for that eventuality. However, most foreign parents envision a rather different outcome for their children, and when a foreign family has decided to take up at least semi-permanent residence in China, it can be quite difficult juggling the different factors – quality, cost, educational philosophies – which come into play when choosing a school.

International schools
International school is the obvious choice for most expats who can afford it. International schools teach to your home country’s curriculum, which not only makes a possible transfer back home smoother should it happen, it also means that your child will be taught in the language of your country. Most international schools are English medium, but there are also Japanese, Korean, German and other language-medium international schools. Children may take Chinese as a second language, but they will be expected to have English (or another language, depending on the school) as a first language and language proficiency will be a prerequisite for acceptance.

International schools will surround a child with children from countries all over the world, but they generally cater to families who work for foreign owned companies, diplomats, or entrepreneurs. In other words, while you may find a smattering of English teachers who manage to scrape together the tuition for an international school, these schools are generally expensive and will stretch the budget of anyone living on a remotely local salary, topping out at more than 150,000RMB per year, the equivalent of tuition for a respectable university in America! Nonetheless, if your family can afford a true international school, an international school will ensure that your child will have options outside of China should he/she so desire. This is particularly important when it comes to high school and preparing for university. An American international school, for instance, will offer AP or IB courses which prepare a child for college, and students will prepare for the SATs. A British international school will offer A-levels. Students graduating from an international school will be ready for college in their home countries. Some schools will allow teachers to send their kids to the school for reduced tuition – something you may want to consider if you’re looking for English teaching jobs.

At the preschool level this isn’t so important, of course. Probably the biggest advantage an international preschool can offer is a strong foundation in a language other than Chinese. For multicultural families like mine especially, where Chinese is spoken at home and is also the “majority language” outside the home, an international preschool would make sure my child had adequate exposure to English and would have the language I teach him at home reinforced at school.

 

Chinese public schools
An increasing number of expats are choosing to send their children to Chinese public schools, usually with the goal of Chinese language fluency. Different cities may have different regulations for enrolling foreign students in Chinese public schools, and tuition rates may vary, but the tuition will almost always be much more affordable than the tuition at an international school, although the price range can be quite large, varying from several thousand RMB a year to tens of thousands, but usually not reaching the hundred thousand mark like many of the better international schools.

Foreign students entering a Chinese school will probably face some unique challenges, the most obvious being the language. Chinese school systems do not have Chinese as a second language programs the way schools back home may have ESL programs, so while teachers may make concessions for foreign students, their parents will be responsible for making sure that they can keep up with the rest of the class language wise. Chinese students start learning to write characters as early as kindergarten, although formal training begins in the first grade. The Chinese school system is generally stronger in math and science related subjects than many schools back home, and so foreign students enrolling in the Chinese schools who have had a few years of school back home may find math and science courses more challenging than what they are used to.

Aside from curriculum differences, some foreign students who have already been in their home country’s public school system may find the Chinese school system rigid in comparison. There is a lot of focus on rote learning and teachers teach to the exam, rather than encouraging critical thinking or creativity. However, some students who thrive in a more structured environment may really take to the Chinese school system.

One more thing to keep in mind if you decide to send your child to a Chinese school, however, is that a foreign child in an all Chinese school is going to attract a lot of attention from both teachers and the other children. Some children may not enjoy being the center of a lot of commotion and fuss made over them. While most foreign children seem to eventually become just another kid in their classmates eyes, there will always be looks and questions, from grandparents picking up their kids at the gate wondering who that foreign girl is, from students in other grades who don’t have a personal relationship with your child, to the teacher who thinks having your child in class is like having a built in foreign teacher. If your child isn’t the type who likes a lot of attention, then Chinese school might present some social problems.

Chinese private schools and bilingual schools
The final category of schools is sort of a hodgepodge of international and local, with educational philosophy, tuition fees, and the nationality of students falling anywhere along a broad spectrum. Many Chinese private schools are merely non-state run versions of their public Chinese counterparts, following the state curriculum, but providing an alternative for Chinese students from well to do backgrounds whose grades on standardized tests were not good enough to qualify them for a “key” public school. Others offer a semi-international curriculum, teaching IB or AP courses or offering instruction in certain subjects using English but other subjects in Chinese. These schools may have Chinese students looking to enter foreign universities or, increasingly, Korean, Malaysian or Singaporean students as their target group.

Still other schools provide alternative curriculums to Chinese and foreign students alike. Montessori schools, Waldorf Schools, and Reggio Emilia schools all can be found in Beijing. Those familiar with non-mainstream educational methods will know that these sorts of schools are quite unlike both traditional international schools and Chinese schools and often focus on child-centered learning and play-based approaches.

While it will be up to you to decide is this kind of school is right for your family, realize that even in China there are differences in quality between different schools. Montessori schools, for example, should be accredited by either AMI or AMS, and should employ teachers who possess Montessori qualifications. Some schools in China will utilize the Montessori name without actually employing Montessori trained teaches, and the same can be said for other methods. Do your research carefully before choosing a school and don’t assume that just because a school uses Montessori or Waldorf in the name that it necessarily follows those educational philosophies.

Homeschooling
No matter what type of school you choose for your child, or even what country you live in, making decisions about your child’s educational future can be very stressful. Many foreign parents in China simply cannot afford to give their children the kind of education that they desire, and so turn to either homeschooling or simply decide to return home for their child’s education. Homeschooling is a viable option in China and there are homeschooling groups in most big cities that can make the experience a bit less daunting. For the creative homeschooler, China can be a great classroom. However, homeschooling isn’t for everyone.

The decision about whether to stay in China when a child hits the formative years education wise is a big one that I am sure most of us expat parents have pondered. It is true that in America my child would be able to get an education on par with that of the most expensive international school here in China virtually free, but he’d also miss out on a lot – the culture, the international exposure, the language, and the unique experience that is China. Luckily we live in a China where there are educational options available to children of all nationalities, and our options are as varied as we make them.
 

Related Links
Spare the Rod Spoil the Child?
Potty Time! Toilet Training in China
Diane Geng and Sara Lam from RCEF – Hands-on Education Reform in Rural China

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2 Comments

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Nolis

What if the parent in visit visa, can the kids enroll to public schools in china

Sep 14, 2019 14:10 Report Abuse

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Thanks a lot!

Aug 10, 2011 06:10 Report Abuse