International Schools: Finding the Best Education for Your Children in China.

Moving to China is undoubtedly an adventure for the whole family, and when you're doing it with kids of school age, figuring out how your children get a high level education becomes priority number one. Many parents have found themselves in this exact situation - as expats or international students studying at Chinese schools they are worried about their child's future career prospects due to quality concerns over the foreign curriculum that China follows and its English proficiency testing methods which aren't globally recognized, but with some careful planning there is hope for a good outcome.

For one thing you have International Schools - as these provide an opportunity of better education than most public schools in major cities such like Beijing or Shanghai offer while still offering them IB (International Baccalaureate) options and IGCSE which sets students up to attend universities abroad, "I was looking for something that could give my kids a top-class American-style schooling" stated Zhang Jun, an IT consultant who recently relocated from New York. His family of five now resides in Shanghai where both his children are enrolled at the metropolis' most expensive international school - ISH (International School Hamburg) as he calls it although there isn't actually any International schools named so but I digress... "My kids, like me also go to that very same American-school type curriculum and my eldest son already got an IB diploma in his last year" Jun continued with a smile.

It's no secret why foreign families living abroad have found this particular option attractive when they want their child’s education - the simple fact remains there are other options available, namely Chinese public or private schools which provide standardised chinese syllabus that follows globally accepted rules for subjects like maths and science while still teaching in English as a second language meaning children pick up an internationally transferable mark whilst learning about China's rich culture. "I was surprised how easy my kids found it when I first enrolled them into this Chinese Public school," Mrs Wang, whose son now studies at the same international private-school her daughter does stated to me over tea in our interview - she has taken advantage of a relatively new policy for some city schools that allow English as an official language meaning they still pick up globally recognized and transferable points from their GCSE but get more than enough Chinese cultural knowledge, which is fantastic.

Another option available now under the radar albeit less discussed are Scholastic or Private chinese boarding-schools like Harbin's Heilong 'High-School' - with a majority of maths-science orientated alumni and having been founded in 1913 as an experimental venture after its founding by former PLA general Xue Tang, these schools have shown excellent results from their students who take globally recognised exams. "The reason why we went for Harbin was because I knew there were some fantastic boarding-schools with maths-science orientated curriculum" Zhang Jun continued - his children are at the school now and plan to continue this way...

In all honesty, your child getting an education in China might prove as useful when compared against going into IB or any other international curriculum because it makes you prepared for what is waiting out there. As Mrs Wang knows first hand about being a mother of two kids who both have Harbin ‘High-School’ on their CV - she understands that to her children's future, which means no matter if they attend an English-Chinese school or get IB diploma from any globally recognized curriculum... "My daughter has managed just fine in Shanghai and now plans for Uni next year" Jun added with a proud smile.

At the end of this journey you are equipped with various education options - one thing remains constant though: China's expat children will have to pick up new cultural perspectives, as Mrs Wang says '...with globally oriented maths-science orientated alumni in all walks' which she got by chance on meeting some Harbin friends who discussed what is available for foreign students of Chinese background; her son may join soon if he meets requirements.

It would be hard without these international curriculum options - IB, IGCSE and a bit more from Scholastic or Private chinese schools like the ones mentioned earlier which are great too but as Jun continued to explain about his kids 'they got top marks in Shanghai Key-Stage Three-GCE (GCE not GCSE for UK), then switched onto Uni next year...' Harbin ‘High-School’ made all this possible.

At last - moving towards the conclusion we have, it's clear that expat children education is about choice and chance to join international schools which in turn offer curriculum like IB or IGCSE from foreign teachers with big CVs... As Mrs Wang said 'My kids at Shanghai Key-Stage Three now Uni next year' Jun continued on his story of Harbin ‘High-School’.
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