Work & Play Hard: All to Consider When Choosing an Int'l School

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For parents of school-aged children, education plays a huge role in deciding where to live, whether you’re moving to Beijing, out of Beijing, or even just to a different part of the city. And with a city as large as this, with literally hundreds of different schools to choose from, it’s no wonder that parents can sometimes feel overwhelmed.

In order to help the international community make confident, informed choices for their families, each year beijingkids publishes a School Choice Guide with the latest news in education, Beijing’s international schools, scholarships, after-school programs, and everything that goes along with it. Whether you’re sending your child off to school for the first time or selecting a transfer school, it’s important to weigh your options first, and we aim to take all the guesswork out of it. The beijingkids website (www.beijing-kids.com) has a full, detailed list of all of Beijing’s international schools along with their requirements and latest tuition fees, but to get you started, here is a general guide about things you should consider when looking for a school for your child.

Cost

For those lucky expats whose kids’ tuitions are included as part of their employee benefits, the Beijing international school system is your oyster. On the other hand, for those who’ll be paying out of pocket, the tuition can be as high as RMB 300,000+ per school year, so obviously, your budget is a huge factor. There’s no point wasting time touring campuses of schools you know you won’t be able to afford, so first identify the schools that are in your budget, as well as the ones who offer financial assistance or scholarships, and narrow your search from there. If you have more than one child, be sure to ask the school about the sibling discount.

Distance

If you haven’t discovered this yet, you soon will… Beijing’s traffic is notorious, and cross-city commutes in the early morning and afternoon during rush hour are a nightmare. Before settling on a school, do a test commute between your house and the school during school hours on a weekday (for real-world accuracy) and see how long it takes. Long transits can wear your kids out, especially if they have a lot of homework and after school commitments. It also means that you, as a parent, will need to spend a lot more time in traffic in order to play an active part in your child’s school life.

Curriculum

Beijing is a smorgasbord of schools, offering a wide range of different curricula, from Hybrid Curriculum, International Baccalaureate (IB), Bilingual Approach, Multiple Intelligences, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and English National Curriculum, special needs-focussed, and many, many more. The good news is that with a bit of research, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your child. On the other hand, if you know that you will only be staying in Beijing for a short period of time before moving back home, look for a school that’ll offer them a curriculum most similar to what you’ll return to, to maintain consistency in your children’s education. So we can do the next step. 

Extracurricular Activities

When you’ve narrowed down your school choices to a few favorites, one of the determining factors will likely be the types of extracurricular activities that the schools offer. Nowadays, when applying to college a student’s grades aren’t the only determining factor, and their extracurricular activities play a huge part in making a student stand out. If your child is already passionate about various activities and sports, finding a school that invests both money and time into those is crucial. While every international school in Beijing will boast an impressive array of activities, their focus will vary with some schools in Beijing having internationally renowned student clubs that just might be exactly what your child is interested in.

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Mandarin

One of the perks of living as an international family in Beijing is getting to immerse yourself in a completely different culture, and learning a new language. Almost all schools will offer the option of Mandarin classes for their students but if you’re adamant about giving your child maximum exposure to the local language, then perhaps consider a school that offers a bilingual program.

School Size

Does a large campus automatically mean that the school is better? Not necessarily. Beijing’s international schools can range from having under 100 students to over 1,400 students, but the school you choose should be determined by what fits your child’s needs. Visit both types of campuses with your child and get a feel of what works for them.

Parental Involvement

Are you working fulltime or are you a so-called ‘trailing spouse’ with more time on your hands? Before committing to a school, find out exactly what they expect from parents. Furthermore, find out if the schools’ Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has a lot of influence over the administration of the school. If you’re new to the city and have yet to create your own circle of friends, the PTA can be a great place for you to meet like-minded parents, offering you a place to network and socialize, and can also serve as a platform so that you can contribute to the school and its community at large.

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Photos: Unsplash

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