Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
velope (
hóngb
ā
o
). Applications for admission are also relatively late, opening from around
May to June.
If you can get your child in, you will find that school fees are much cheaper than what
you might pay at an international school, possibly just around RMB28,000 per year. One
option that many expat parents happily consider is to enroll their children into Chinese nurs-
eries or kindergartens to give them a solid foundation in the local language, but then move
them to an international school for the more formal education years.
Some Chinese schools are more expat friendly than others and several are actually
set up with international departments. Fangcaodi International School, Beijing Ritan High
School, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, and Beijing No. 55
Middle School, for example, all have long-standing international programs. These schools
are all run by the Chinese government and classes are taught almost entirely in Chinese. If
your child doesn't speak Chinese before starting, they'll need to attend intensive language
courses for the first semester. The standards and cultural diversity of these schools may dif-
fer from that of the major independent international schools in Beijing, but they do offer a
deeper Chinese experience and are a slightly cheaper alternative if your budget is limited.
These “semi-international” schools are well suited to preparing your child for entry into the
Chinese universities, but it's advisable to ascertain whether their curriculums will set your
child up for university back home. Some offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) program
for an additional fee.
International schools are generally the first choice for expats in Beijing. From nursery to
high school, they offer quality education and a diverse range of extracurricular activities.
Each school varies greatly, not just in fees, but in culture, curriculum, and the blend of na-
tionalities at the school. Most of the international schools are well equipped; have interna-
tionally qualified, native-English-speaking teachers; and have curriculums that are tailored
for their often-transient student populations.
Admission processes vary from school to school, but it's generally relatively easy to
get your child into an international school, and it can often be done very quickly. The ba-
sic requirements are a foreign passport and the correct visa (such as Z, W, or J). You will
probably also have to supply copies of your child's student records and a completed health
check form from a doctor (the school can provide you with the correct form to give your
doctor). Such schools aren't usually zoned, so your address is unlikely to affect your child's
enrollment. One problem that you may encounter, however, is a waiting list. Many schools
