ASIA PACIFIC
...China’s expanding international-school options
choices. “Tianjin surprises some people, but it is a place that is growing particularly well and is only 20 minutes outside Beijing on the bullet train. Wellington Shanghai is on an incredible 17- acre plot, right in the heart of the new bund, which is such a good location. There are a lot of prestigious development here, the financial centre – everything’s going to be around here.” The two Wellington schools in China reflect the UK school in environment, infrastructure, learning and teaching, but they also value and draw upon their Chinese location. “The core of learning is derived from the British national curriculum, adapted to embrace the globally-recognised and innovative programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organisation,” explained Joy Qiao, chair of governors for Wellington College International China. “Immersing our pupils in Chinese language and culture provides them with the tools and confidence they need to succeed beyond the classroom. With the encouragement of the Chinese government in both Tianjin and Shanghai, the college has been able to grow and develop its links within China, allowing the vision of a truly international curriculum to be realised.” All these schools are accessible only to the children
of expatriates and Chinese children who have parents with foreign passports. “Many Chinese nationals would love their children to attend, but they’re not allowed to enrol,” said Helen Kavanagh. “We could fill our places ten times over with locals.”
In addition to the UK independent schools now established in China, many other international-school options exist for families relocating to the country’s leading centres for trade. One example is the International School of Beijing, which was established in 1980 as the first international school in the city, to offer a local education option to the children of foreign diplomats. The school, located in Beijing’s Shunyi District, has since expanded beyond embassy staff, and now offers education – including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme – to 1,800 students, predominantly expatriates of 53 different nationalities.
The school has recently installed two huge sports and recreation domes spanning more than 8,500 square metres, enclosing six tennis courts and a wide range of sports and fitness facilities. The pressurised domes are equipped with air-filtration and heat-recovery systems.
The International School of Beijing is not the only school to respond to the challenges of Beijing’s air pollution.
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Beijing City International School, Harrow International School Beijing, and the Canadian International School of Beijing have all installed air-filtration systems in classrooms. High levels of pollution in Beijing have led some companies to look to Shanghai as an alternative base. As well as its somewhat cleaner air, new incentives within its free-trade zone and a good selection of available international schools are attracting a number of multinational corporations to Shanghai. In addition to relocations from Beijing, a number of major companies are being lured from Hong Kong, where the lack of international-school places is deterring many expatriate families from accepting assignments. According to ISC Research data, the number of international schools in Shanghai increased by 39 per cent between May 2010 and May 2014. These schools currently provide education for more than 71,000 students. The oldest and largest international school in the city is Shanghai American School. Built on two campuses, it provides a US-oriented curriculum for more than 3,000 children, and it
boasts the largest English-language
library in China. Based on continued demand for places, it opened an additional Pre-K (pre-kindergarten) class in September 2015.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS FOR CHINESE CHILDREN
Schools currently experiencing the most growth are those accessible to local children, and a number of UK independent schools are involved in these developments. In addition to having three international schools dedicated to expatriates in China, Dulwich College also works in conjunction with two high schools, in Suzhou and Zhuhai, to offer a UK-oriented curriculum to Chinese nationals. These schools reflect the Dulwich learning approach, and students study for IGCSE and A-Level exams, with the aim of progressing to higher education in the UK or the US. In 2012, Malvern College Qingdao opened as a purpose-built international secondary school, licensed by the Chinese authorities for Chinese nationals. Students follow an English-speaking foundation course in preparation for taking A Levels. Ancillary programmes are also provided, to help
students develop high-level English-literacy
and language skills. Malvern College opened a second international secondary school for Chinese nationals in Chengdu in September 2015.
Above: Concordia International School Shanghai
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