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robdmac
Newbie
Joined: Aug 15, 2006
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Aug 15, 2006 - 02:28 AM |
 
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| Post subject: Good local (public) elementary schools |
I am moving from the US to Shanghai in early September and am looking for a good local (public) elementary school to send my daughter to. My duaghter is 6 years old (1st grade) and speaks Chinese fluently, although she is probably behind in writing/reading characters. Where are some good local elementary schools, is it normal for foreigners to send their kids to local schools, are foreign kids accepted, what is needed to enroll? Any other info/advise would be appreciated! |
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Baileji
Squeeker
Joined: July 26, 2006
Posts: 19
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Aug 16, 2006 - 05:24 AM |
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robdmac
Newbie
Joined: Aug 15, 2006
Posts: 5
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Aug 16, 2006 - 08:48 PM |
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I am not very clear what the difference between an "international track" and a normal track? What are the advantageous of sending your child to a school with an international track versus a normal track? Since my daughter already speaks Chinese I expected to send her to a normal chinese school and hire a tutor to continue her studies in reading/writing in English. Do other foreigners/returning chinese send their children to public elementary schools? |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 17, 2006 - 01:16 AM |
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The level of first grade chinese here is very high. My son just finished 1st grade (now just turned 7) in Hong Kong (and did fairly well) and was unable to attend 2nd grade here as the characters that they are expected to recognize and read are very complex for a 1st grader). As most 7 year old enter into first grade, you may want to put some more thought into this.
Does your child hold a non-chinese passport? there are only 75-150 institutions that are permitted to accept foreigners.
If you can get them into a local program, the costs could be very low. Class sizes are 35-40 kids.
the terms international track is losely thrown around. For a chinese school, it's one hour of english (tape recording, non=native english teachers). For an international school where english is the medium of teaching, it's (max) 1 hour per day.
Why does your daughter speak chinese fluently? possibly a parent is chinese?
feel free to pm me with your specific situation. I went/am going thru this process. My kids are at level for reading/writing but don't speak mandarin/putonghua. They were educated in Hong Kong. we are native english speakers at home. |
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robdmac
Newbie
Joined: Aug 15, 2006
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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Aug 17, 2006 - 02:20 AM |
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Thank you for the information. My daughter is going into 1st grade and turned 6 last March. It sounds like my daughter, being 6, is a little young for 1st grade in China, is that correct? Are the kids in 1st grade already supposed to have a good knowledge of characters, or is 1st grade when they begin learning characters?
- Yes my daughter holds a non-chinese passport. Of those institutions that accept foreigners, are there certain schools with a better reputation?
- How would you rate the overall education provided at an international school versus a regular chinese school?
- You were right in assuming a Chinese parent, my wife is from northern China and I am a foreigner (I speak decent Chinese... for a foreigner). My daughter spent about 4 months last year going to kindergarten in my wifes hometown and didn't having language problems, but I am sure her knowledge of characters is lagging.
- What type of school are you sending your kids to?
Again, thanks for the info! |
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Baileji
Squeeker
Joined: July 26, 2006
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
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Aug 17, 2006 - 07:24 PM |
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As far as I know, the http://www.ses.pudong-edu.sh.cn/english_version/profile.asp , the local track is for kids has no foreigner passport. They are selected via some exam system. There are 30 kids per class. Local kid is free.
The international track is for kids with foreigner passport and 20 kids per class. They use same curriculum but with different pace. They promise no drop off for the first year. International kids pay 8000 RMB/semester.
You are daughter is same age. She is old enough for the school. They accept kids turn to 6 before September.
You can call them on August 25th.
Hope these information can help someone. |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 17, 2006 - 08:21 PM |
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My understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, is that the international track has usually 1 period of english per day. It is more expensive than the local program.
At another school, kids that couldn't 'cut' the regular program were sometimes asked to go into the international program (instead of failing them).
I asked several local chinese and they typically put their kids into 1st grade at 7 years old because they are trying to prep them for the exam as it can be very competitive to get into a good school.
I am unsure if any school is FREE - I think anyone who can avoid it do not put their kids (esp foreigners) in a goverment sponsored school. Even the one that my kids are going to (they're going into the international program), in the local program, it is a goverment filed (mandated?) 2500 rmb per 5 months (semester, 2 per school year). Kids usually have to pay for their books and uniforms (which could get jacked up by the school to make some money). Obviously they are full.
If you child does not even read one character, they would be better off going into a local kindergarten (to pick up their reading skills) and prepping for the 1st grade exam next year for a local school. If you are unwilling to let one year of their schooling go by (like me), you can find a private/gov't supported school (might not be that reputable as all better schools are full) that might have a vacancy and your wife/child will have to work extremely hard next year.
Or you can find an international/english school that charges more and will teach in a combination of english/chinese.
If you want to chat about it, pm me your phone number and we can talk about it since it is a very complex situation. |
Last edited by HK2ShviaUSA on Aug 22, 2006 - 12:09 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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robdmac
Newbie
Joined: Aug 15, 2006
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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Aug 18, 2006 - 04:53 AM |
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I did not see a phone number or email address for the SES school on their website (which I thought was odd), does anyone have a phone number for them? I saw 2 seperate addresses for SES, the Pudong campus and the Tianlin campus, is one location any better than the other (facilities, age, teachers, location)?
When does the school year start in China? When my kids 1st come over to China (on August 29th) they will be traveling on a tourist visa, the company I work for said they will arrange their long term visas once we get their (but I expect the process to take a few weeks). Will it be a problem going to school before they receive a residence permit? |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 18, 2006 - 07:04 PM |
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you can also check out www.shesid.cn . they're in Jin Qiao and Puxi.
Not sure about the visa situation....guessing if you are willing to pay....you can register them first. I think they only took copy of my kids front page passport. I am pretty sure that they looked at our entry visa.
That'll give you time to look for a school.
If you are near Century Park/pudong, I know of a school that an american chinese put her kid in. she thought it was a good school.
BTW, I spoke to a local chinese person (who's daughter is entering 1st grade this year) and she told me for certain that you have to be fully 7 year old before Sept 1 to enter into 1st grade. |
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robdmac
Newbie
Joined: Aug 15, 2006
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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Aug 21, 2006 - 10:02 PM |
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So my daughter is the correct age for kidergarten, not 1st grade? I spoke to my mother-in-law last night (she lives in a different province) and said that the age requirements are not enforced where she lives. From my experience, in China there is a ton of rules, but many are not (or loosely) enforced. Are the age rules enforced in Shanghai?
HK2ShviaUSA, thanks for the link! |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:04 AM |
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You're right...every province/city has different age requirements.
If you were to try to place your daughter in a local chinese school, she would be at a disadvantage since she doesn't read any chinese.
My son has already spent 3 years in kindergarten and 1 year in 1st grade in HK and he couldn't test well enough to go into 2nd grade here. He could go into 1st grade though. In Shanghai, I was told by someone who is just putting her daughter into school in 1st grade and she is 7 years old and that is the minimum age (you could be 8yrs old).
You should think about her readiness for school. Most chinese schools have 35-40 kids per class. She would not be getting any special attention. It would be a huge struggle since there is a minimum # of chinese characters that they are expected to know (read) going into 1st grade (going into 2nd grade HK, it something like 500 or so). And if you even saw the first several stories that they learn in Chinese in 1st grade here, you would be in shock (as I was). There are about written 15 lines (over 80 characters) and it progresses really fast. My main reason we did not try to put my son into 2nd grade - it would be like skipping ahead a grade.
And I don't know if you are aware that spoken everyday chinese is not like written Chinese which tends to use more flowery and traditional/formal words (when my daughter reads it, I understand just about none of it and my conversational is probably slightly better than your daughter's).
Now if you were to enroll her into one of the bi-lingual 50%50% programs, they might enroll her into 1st grade since they might be following more of an international standard of 6 yrs/1 Grade/Year 2 (english system). If you were to enroll her in the bi-lingual program (90% chinese, 10% english), they'd probably would not enroll her. But then again, this is China and money does talk. |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:16 AM |
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There's also another school Xiehe that is 'bi-lingual' - they're only in Puxi. They promise something like no failures (they use a better word) the first year....which I'm not sure how to interpret. |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 586
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Aug 24, 2006 - 07:26 PM |
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Baileji
Squeeker
Joined: July 26, 2006
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
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Aug 25, 2006 - 01:38 AM |
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local school in China is hard to communication.
Different local school special different kids.
Becaerful, the www.shesid.cn is not public school.
http://www.ses.pudong-edu.sh.cn/english_version/profile.asp has two campus. Tianlin is located in Puxi. Pudong one is located in Pudong. Ｂoth have international track. Tianling only have international track. Pudong only has first grade.
The communication is big problem for the school. I have suggested them to do more PR. But they feel they have no problem to recruite kids.
I do not know which number you can call to reach the officer. But I will send my son to school Aug 29. If anyone need, PM me, I will give you their number. |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Aug 25, 2006 - 08:22 PM |
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Again, international track? What does it really mean? For most schools it means 85% one language and 15% the other (and taught by native speakers?). You really need to ask carefully. |
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princessnoodle
Newbie
Joined: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Aug 27, 2006 - 08:38 PM |
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where you live here?im a local teacher...maybe i can find a good school near ur house ...
[b] |
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joejoeyu
Talker
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 94
Status: Offline
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Sep 05, 2006 - 10:19 AM |
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Hi there, I just arrived Sh for a week. I'm a Chinese from HK. I have a kid of 13 (grade  and now is studying at a typical local school. My kid complaints their English level is much lower than HK and even the teacher doesn't speak decent English. We don't like it at all and are trying to find some other good local schools with international class. Traditional international schools are not our target as we can't afford the expensive school fees. What about the Jin Cai school (int'l division)? Any one heard about it? Any experience for sharing? We live in Pudong side and pls could you recommend me some good scools at Pudong. Tks & Rgds, Joe Joe |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Sep 05, 2006 - 11:13 PM |
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I have to correct myself. 6 years old (most of the rest of the world)=7years old (traditional method of counting age in China) = min age for admission into 1st grade in Shanghai. |
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