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kittyurmston
Squeeker
Joined: Aug 24, 2006
Posts: 18
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Aug 24, 2006 - 05:13 PM |
 
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just a little thought, the schools that charge the highest fees dont always have the best packages for teachers as they may be driven by shareholder input rather than educational input. some schools are run as purely profit making enterprises for large companies with their fingers in many areas of business. as education is a growth industry and large amounts of money can be made in very short spaces of time my advice would be to look for schools that have been around for a long time and have proven track records. it is important to rember that if you are here for short term stays maybe less than 2 years, your children will have to attend a school that will have a curriculum simiar to the next place they will go to allow for continuity otherwise they may end up repeating some things and missing others |
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emselst
Lurker
Joined: Sep 08, 2005
Posts: 23
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Sep 01, 2006 - 04:43 PM |
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| Post subject: International Schools, Bilingual Schools, Local Schools etc! |
| patriciaychou wrote: |
| Thanks "emselst" for the info and I will look into seeing other posts on Xiehe. |
Just wanted to let you all know we ended up going with Shanghai United Bilingual School (SUIS/SUBS/Xiehe) in Hongqiao (Puxi side), even though it is quite a commute for our daughter. They will be opening a campus on the other side of the river near Jinqiao (Pudong side) next summer. So, one year of bus rides, but I think it is worth it.
For those of you trying to decide which school is right, let me just say a few things from experience (Much more experience than I would have preferred!):
* Try to find a school as close to the working parent's office. Be very open and consider all options (International Schools, Bilingual Schools, Local Schools, and homeschooling). The simpler your life here the better. (I wish ours could have been!)
* After you find your school, THEN choose where to live. In our case, we are all commuting for 9 months before we can move because we did this the other way around.
* Do NOT choose a school based soley on their website. In some cases the websites are very far from true, and in others, the websites don't even show you how good a place really is. You need to GO SEE any school you are considering, and make sure it is during school hours. And talk talk talk to the teachers, students, staff. At Chinese local schools in particular, make sure you are dropping in unannounced to get a real feel for what it is like.
* Question the high prices at the International Schools, and don't be afraid to ask for tuition reductions/ financial aid/ (discounts!) These schools are making a lot of money, and they are not Harvard (no one is leaving with a degree, that's for sure!!)
* As per bilingual schools, be very aware that there are 3 main approaches to a Chinese/English bilingual education:
1. Chinese with ESL (English as a second language) - We didn't want full immersion in the Chinese program because our daughter (a native English speaker) would have 1-2 hours of ESL classes everyday. Of course, one school told us they would move her to a higher class, but then she would have been in English class with children 3+ years older than her - not appropriate for a 1st grader. However, if your child does not speak English OR Chinese, this is probably a good option. ($2000 per year, and less)
2. English with Chinese classes - For us this didn't put enough emphasis on Chinese. We plan to live here for 5+ years, and having Chinese language skills is very important to us. This may be a good option for those students only living here for 1-3 years. But again, only if your on a nice expat package, because these are extremely expensive. ($21,000 and up)
3. 50-50 English and Chinese - for us, this was the best option. In our daughter's school, they have 1 Chinese teacher and 1 English teacher for every class all day. This is really special, and it's at a much lower price than any other schools.. They put a lot of emphasis on creativity, and individual progress... And it's an IB school. Unfortunately, for now, SUIS is the only school quite like it, but I can see that this is definitly the future for schools here in Shanghai. As expat packages thin out, there will be more and more demand for places that offer quality without the ludicrous prices. ($8,000 per year, approx)
: )
Just wanted to say thank you, to all of you on this website that have added opinions, and I hope this info I'm providing is helpful to others too! Please ask questions on this post, rather than sending a message, I'm watching this forum, so I'll see your questions/comments. |
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LionT
Lurker
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 37
Status: Offline
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Sep 03, 2006 - 08:21 AM |
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Hi, does Shanghai United Bilingual School have a website? I can't seem to find it.. |
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toogreen
Newbie
Joined: Dec 23, 2004
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Sep 06, 2006 - 04:04 PM |
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maba
Newbie
Joined: Aug 28, 2006
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Sep 07, 2006 - 12:30 PM |
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Can anyone give a comment on Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS) ? |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 575
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Sep 07, 2006 - 01:04 PM |
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| maba wrote: |
| Can anyone give a comment on Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS) ? |
Uh...what kind of comments are you looking for? The official statements can be found at the website www.ssis.cn. I write on my experiences with the school at my blog www.senseimichael.com. |
_________________
Michael Chan www.senseimichael.com |
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LionT
Lurker
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 37
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 02:30 PM |
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Thks toogreen. I am checking it out.. |
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LionT
Lurker
Joined: Sep 01, 2006
Posts: 37
Status: Offline
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Sep 10, 2006 - 01:21 PM |
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deleted.. no longer relevant. |
Last edited by LionT on Sep 18, 2006 - 04:45 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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lalachang
Newbie
Joined: Sep 18, 2006
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Sep 18, 2006 - 03:00 PM |
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I want to know how about the BISS (PUXI). |
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zooforfive
Newbie
Joined: Nov 06, 2006
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Nov 23, 2006 - 08:41 AM |
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there is no comment here on scis (shanghai community international school). anyone out there have kids that attend scis. would love to here some input |
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ChezLam
Newbie
Joined: Nov 30, 2006
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Nov 30, 2006 - 06:52 PM |
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| Post subject: SMIC school |
My husband will be working in Pudong next year. Could anyone let me know how far the SMIC school is from the more central parts of Pudong? How long does it take to get there by school bus? It looks pretty far out on the map, and pretty isolated. Also, is there a good local kindergarten nearby? I'm not keen to put my 3 year-old in school from 8.30am to 4pm! Thanks in advance. |
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rwelling
Newbie
Joined: Oct 29, 2006
Posts: 2
Status: Offline
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Dec 07, 2006 - 10:42 AM |
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| Post subject: SCIS |
My daughter attends SCIS Hongqiao campus. This is her first year and she's very happy there, aside from one teenage-girl sort of issue that I hope will soon be resolved. In fact, she would like to stay there until she graduates, but we'll be going back to our home country long before then. It's very international, as are many of the schools, has small classes, enthusiastic teachers, American curriculum, ESOL for non-English speakers, choice of 3 languages at present (Mandarin, French, Spanish), and they are building a new facility next-door to the old one. At present the school goes through 9th grade, but they have been adding a year as each class is promoted. I understand that the Changning campus (elementary only) is well-liked, and has the advantage of being very close to the Jiangsu Lu metro stop. |
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crystal_lss
Squeeker
Joined: Jan 03, 2007
Posts: 14
Status: Offline
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Jan 04, 2007 - 01:26 PM |
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| Post subject: Re: International Schools, Bilingual Schools, Local Schools |
| emselst wrote: |
| patriciaychou wrote: |
| Thanks "emselst" for the info and I will look into seeing other posts on Xiehe. |
Just wanted to let you all know we ended up going with Shanghai United Bilingual School (SUIS/SUBS/Xiehe) in Hongqiao (Puxi side), even though it is quite a commute for our daughter. They will be opening a campus on the other side of the river near Jinqiao (Pudong side) next summer. So, one year of bus rides, but I think it is worth it.
For those of you trying to decide which school is right, let me just say a few things from experience (Much more experience than I would have preferred!):
* Try to find a school as close to the working parent's office. Be very open and consider all options (International Schools, Bilingual Schools, Local Schools, and homeschooling). The simpler your life here the better. (I wish ours could have been!)
* After you find your school, THEN choose where to live. In our case, we are all commuting for 9 months before we can move because we did this the other way around.
* Do NOT choose a school based soley on their website. In some cases the websites are very far from true, and in others, the websites don't even show you how good a place really is. You need to GO SEE any school you are considering, and make sure it is during school hours. And talk talk talk to the teachers, students, staff. At Chinese local schools in particular, make sure you are dropping in unannounced to get a real feel for what it is like.
* Question the high prices at the International Schools, and don't be afraid to ask for tuition reductions/ financial aid/ (discounts!) These schools are making a lot of money, and they are not Harvard (no one is leaving with a degree, that's for sure!!)
* As per bilingual schools, be very aware that there are 3 main approaches to a Chinese/English bilingual education:
1. Chinese with ESL (English as a second language) - We didn't want full immersion in the Chinese program because our daughter (a native English speaker) would have 1-2 hours of ESL classes everyday. Of course, one school told us they would move her to a higher class, but then she would have been in English class with children 3+ years older than her - not appropriate for a 1st grader. However, if your child does not speak English OR Chinese, this is probably a good option. ($2000 per year, and less)
2. English with Chinese classes - For us this didn't put enough emphasis on Chinese. We plan to live here for 5+ years, and having Chinese language skills is very important to us. This may be a good option for those students only living here for 1-3 years. But again, only if your on a nice expat package, because these are extremely expensive. ($21,000 and up)
3. 50-50 English and Chinese - for us, this was the best option. In our daughter's school, they have 1 Chinese teacher and 1 English teacher for every class all day. This is really special, and it's at a much lower price than any other schools.. They put a lot of emphasis on creativity, and individual progress... And it's an IB school. Unfortunately, for now, SUIS is the only school quite like it, but I can see that this is definitly the future for schools here in Shanghai. As expat packages thin out, there will be more and more demand for places that offer quality without the ludicrous prices. ($8,000 per year, approx)
: )
Just wanted to say thank you, to all of you on this website that have added opinions, and I hope this info I'm providing is helpful to others too! Please ask questions on this post, rather than sending a message, I'm watching this forum, so I'll see your questions/comments. |
Dear emselst,
How do you feel SUBS(Shanghai United Bilingual School" now? I'm also looking for the school for my kids who are 5years old and 2years old. I'm appreciate to get your comments. Thanks. |
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weinixiao
Newbie
Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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Jan 05, 2007 - 10:23 AM |
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Hi I'm reading this very informative blog; and it happens that nobody speaks about RBIS (Rainbow bridge international school), this was first a kindergarten, and a very good one I might say. But since 2004 they also have the elementary school, is not as pricey as the other international schools.I agree is kind of new; but is IN the SHanghai ZOO in gubei hong qiao area, so the emphasis on science is strong. I've been in China for 8 + years teaching; and this school is one that looks promising: Is small if you compare to the other big international schools; but compensate for the effort to have individualized education, it is worth a visit. |
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carole
Squeeker
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 11
Status: Offline
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Feb 13, 2007 - 05:50 AM |
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Hi. I was wondering which school would be a better choice: SUIS or SMIC? How much of a difference is there regarding the annual tuition of each school? I don't think I can afford the other schools like SAS or SCIS, so it seems (quality wise) the best choices would be these.
Any suggestions? |
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roamingasia
Newbie
Joined: Feb 21, 2007
Posts: 2
Status: Offline
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Feb 21, 2007 - 07:13 PM |
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We have been in Thailand for 1 year now. Previously lived in China for almost 5 yrs. My kids are losing their Mandarin speaking skills, as well as reading/writing. Hired tutors, but sound is not quite right and not enough for just 1 hour a day. The school here is not too challenging to begin with (so looking forward to a change in school systems) and I really want the best education (as we all do for our children) combined with daily Chinese interaction so that they will improve their abilities with the language. We are US citizens and at this juncture, education is really important as my children are in very important stages of school: currently 10th grader, 7th grader and a 5th grader. I am looking for the change to happen for 2007-2008 school year. I had been reading about a school called Jin Cai International High School - which is a boarding school with an international division (American Curriculum). On paper it sounds good. Now this SUIS sounds good. But are you still happy with the school? And what do you know of Jin Cai High School? Thanks for any input. |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 575
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Feb 21, 2007 - 08:26 PM |
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I know that Jin Cai High is doing the MYP/DP curriculum, and so would be a good international exposure for your kids - I don't have information on their 5th grade, whether they have an international division for that. Anybody has any ideas? |
_________________
Michael Chan www.senseimichael.com |
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carole
Squeeker
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 11
Status: Offline
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Feb 25, 2007 - 08:30 AM |
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I heard that Jin Cai has a good curriculum but the students that go there are not really enthusiastic about learning. My friend was considering that school (since it is only 3 minutes by car from where we live), but was worried that her child won't study hard. Also, it's basically only for Asian children, so if you are of Western culture, I heard the child may be thrown out of the loop. |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 575
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Feb 25, 2007 - 09:36 AM |
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| carole wrote: |
| Also, it's basically only for Asian children, so if you are of Western culture, I heard the child may be thrown out of the loop. |
I don't understand this part about "basically only for Asian children"? |
_________________
Michael Chan www.senseimichael.com |
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aidamnor
Barker
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 126
Status: Offline
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Feb 27, 2007 - 10:25 PM |
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"basically for Asian children" - meaning Western parents tend to not want to send our kids to such schools - even though the curriculum is MYP/DP, the slant is still somewhat towards a more Asian approach of instruction - can be somewhat confusing for our kids. the student body tends to be largely Asian as a result - SSIS is another such school. |
_________________
santamaria |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 575
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Feb 27, 2007 - 10:55 PM |
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Hmm...so the problem is different approach of instruction, not a better or worse type of instruction?
I ask because I used to have one pupil (back when I teaching in Singapore) who studied in my school for his elementary years. He would later top the State of Colorado in Maths (William Horng is his name, if I don't remember wrongly) at high school. When interviewed, he attributed it to his education in Singapore.
But yes, the student body tends to be largely Asian in schools like SSIS. |
_________________
Michael Chan www.senseimichael.com |
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aidamnor
Barker
Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 126
Status: Offline
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Feb 28, 2007 - 04:48 PM |
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yes - it is simply a dfferent type of approach - whether it is better or worse is dependent on what we as parents deem appropriate - I for one am not very interested in my children making top scores in any type of exams - what's more important is that my boys acquire the ability to think critically, be independent learners yet at the same time a team player, not be dependent on teachers as the source of everything. Both my boys go to Concordia - we are very happy with the quality of instruction as well as the approach to and philosophy of education |
_________________
santamaria |
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StMichael
Ranter
Joined: Feb 19, 2005
Posts: 575
Location: Qibao, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Mar 01, 2007 - 02:36 PM |
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 I'm curious - it has always been a generalisation (in my observation) but is it really true that western parents tend to prefer a more well-rounded education, while Asian parents prefer a more achievement-oriented type of education?
I tend to hear more from Asian parents, so it'd be interesting to hear from western parents what they think, generally. |
_________________
Michael Chan www.senseimichael.com |
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tnmom
LoopKicker
Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 916
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Mar 02, 2007 - 08:28 AM |
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I like a mix of the two - well rounded and competitive - esp at the high school level! At SAS I think my kids get both - US curriculum which includes a lot of discussion based/seminar style English and Social Studies classes along with challenging options in all subjects and competition from very smart kids. They have a lot of leadership opportunities with clubs and sports but also a rigorous class schedule that has prepared them very well for college in the US. The student population is more Asian than western so the Asian values of disciplined hard work are very prevalent! |
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woaishanghai
Squeeker
Joined: Jan 08, 2007
Posts: 11
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Mar 09, 2007 - 06:04 PM |
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has anyone looked at DCS? (dulwich college shanghai). or can tell me any information on it? |
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