Reply To: Foreign Expat Kids in Local Shanghai Schools?

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#4832
Anonymous
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A-roaming, you have gotten alot of advice and alot of info to wade thru.

From my understanding, there are several (138 last count) local schools that are able to take foreign passport holders. Of these schools, many have international divisions – some that teach in english, some that teach in chinese – all with one period in the alternative language.

My native english speaking kids have been in HK local cantonese schools. So before we moved here, we were looking for chinese schools (I tutor english at home). I was only looking in Pudong.

I found Golden Apple (most kids board, 40 kids per class, kids were happy and enthusiastic), SMIC Chinese division (small classes at less than 20, slightly depressing environment but I went in the middle of winter, nice campus), Pinghe International Division (2 periods of english, depressing atmosphere, teachers defecting, very inflexible attitude, and no 4th grade class at the time). Discount any international school (including previously mentioned Yew Chung IS) since 1 period of chinese a day is what they offer.

when my kids took the test for SMIC, my daughter got a 38 (testing into 4th grade)! OK, so there was a traditional to simplifed issue at hand, but…. They recommended my daughter and son (testing into 2nd grade – got a 9!!!!) both drop a grade. They had both been doing B – A work in HK cantonese school. The chinese in China is difficult and the words they are expected to know is antiquated (and not the same style as HK or Singapore).

Expect that any school that has alot of Chinese or Taiwanese, the parents are clamouring for more homework and think it’s weird if there is no homework!

Since moving to SH, my friend’s son goes to a school in Lujiazhui that teaches in Chinese using the local curriculum, 1 period of english a day, takes only foreigners into this section, and is slightly better attitude than your typical local school since the mom told me that there are quite a few bi-culturals and westerns. Still, he has quite a bit of HW every night (2 hrs every night and that was 2nd grade). It is right near Yanlord Garden.

Don’t know how many kids in each class but it sounds like what you are looking for. That or Golden apple or SMIC/Chinese track. pm me if you need the exact details.

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