Education in Shanghai China: educational overview (Introduction)

Posted by freemexy on October 16th, 2019

In some - not all – cases, rapid expansion has meant sacrificing the quality of teaching and pupil welfare in favour of getting bums on seats to see a return on a hefty investment. Spectacular facilities can sometimes mask a whole host of problems. Try not to be dazzled into making a snap decision based only on a two-day look/see visit. International school Shanghai

The school search will be less stressful and more efficient if you change your criteria and expectations from the outset. If you have lived overseas before, you are probably well-practised at this chameleon-like ability to adapt; if not, take a deep breath and open your mind! Adjust your criteria for what you define as a “good” school.

In the slightly unreal world of expat life (especially in China where expectations have to be adjusted so much), the definition of "good" becomes "the best available in the circumstances". So people say you can buy good imported cheese here but does it match up to that wonderful cheese shop in Covent Garden or even the local Waitrose cheese counter? Not a chance. People in Shanghai will say it was beautiful day yesterday, really meaning that you could sit by the pool and the haze only extended slightly above the horizon as opposed to obscuring the buildings at the end of the street.

Typical compromises you may have to consider are that your children might have a longer journey to school than you would like, the curriculum might differ from schools in your home country, there might be a higher religious content than you would prefer, you may never have envisaged your child being at a bilingual school and, most commonly, your child may have to sit it out at another school before you finally get them into your first choice.

Making choices
If you have more than one child, don’t immediately dismiss putting them into different schools. It is obviously not ideal and may initially feel like an adjustment too far, but it is very, very common in Shanghai. Eventually siblings all tend to filter into one school. In the meantime there is (sometimes comical) confusion about school holidays, bus and sporting schedules and who is wearing which uniform.

Having one of your children enrolled at a good school will secure the coveted sibling priority status on waiting lists at that school for your other children. Better that situation than having all your children under one educational roof and then deciding you want to move them all six months later. Wherever possible, base your decisions on which school you think is best.

Most of the international schools are very good at managing transitions, and parents report that the children seem to cope just fine with a change of school. The majority of expat children in Shanghai do not rely solely on their classmates for friendships. Tightly-knit expat communities and the sociable nature of compound living result in an extensive and supportive network amongst the children across all age groups. This is consolidated through attendance at the various extra-curricular sporting activities.

Sport
Multisport, Sport for Life and many of the other sporting organizations use the international schools facilities for most of their programmes, so finding the loo on day one at the new school isn’t likely to pose a problem if your child already does one of these usually excellent sports programmes. And if your child has to move schools, there is a good chance that several of his classmates will also be moving and that he (and you!) will see several familiar faces in the playground.

Fees
Fees are generally very high, almost shockingly so compared to some other countries. HR directors of multinationals must inwardly groan when they discover the companies chosen “Man in China” has four school age children. School fees, combined with the other usual benefits, make expat employees here very expensive indeed. If you are looking at paying your own fees, the annual total may make you think again about moving to Shanghai.