The Public Option

Can and would you put your youngsters through the public school system?

The answer is YES, you can put your kids in local schools. But WOULD you? That is a question that gets our forum members pretty vocal.
 

How to enroll in Public school, fees, eligibility
According to the regulations published in 2007, the common public nursery, kindergarten, elementary, junior and senior high schools can accept foreign employees’ kids to study. The standard fee for public elementary school is 3000rmb/term, 6000rmb/term for public junior/senior schools (including vocational schools) plus the accommodation is 900rmb/term for each. If the kids go to kindergarten for full-time care, they should pay 1300rmb/month for each, while boarding kindergarten is 2300rmb/month (yes, there are BOARDING kindergartens!)

As for kids of foreigners with Chinese heritage that hold the “Shanghai Residence Permit” type B, they can receive education including compulsory (elementary and junior school, 9 years), pre-school, high school education in Shanghai and pay the same as local students.

All kinds of people above who hold the relative legal documents can go to their respective district’s or county’s education department to apply for school. Students will be arranged to the proper grade with other local students.

Some of the more top-notch, higher quality local schools approved by the Shanghai Education Association can enroll foreign students directly from abroad. The highest fee standard for a public elementary student is 34000rmb/term for each, for public junior/senior schools (including vocational schools) is 38000rmb/term each, and the accommodation is 1300rmb/term each. If the kids go to the public kindergarten for full-time care, the highest fee is 6500rmb/month each.

Foreigners’ Opinions
Right now, the overwhelming majority of foreign and mixed children go to international schools. Some parents choose to put their students through local kindergarten and elementary school because it’s cheaper and offers unique experiences and opportunities for Mandarin fluency. But as the student matures, foreigners feel more comfortable in a western-style environment. Chinese teaching methods, though not without its obvious qualities, put more emphasis on rote memorization than on critical thinking. Here are some snippets from our forum post on the subject:

“My kids are in no way becoming little Chinese conformists. They have us as their main influence. ..Plus, I encourage their individuality which makes their local teachers' jobs more challenging I'm sure. Each child has their own character and either you go with it or suppress it or whatever… We support the teacher but we also encourage our kids' individual character because we are who we are. The local parents do what they do because of who they are. My oldest son was in local [school] for 5 years. He is the absolute worst conformist ever. The system that they have been in has as much influence as we support….However, I would still have my kids go through local kindergarten before they go on to international school, just for the language and cultural experience.”  –rucksack

“The classes tend to be bigger than most US schools (40 students) and the kids stay in the same room while the teachers rotate through. I haven't seen teachers praise progress, but they do berate and humiliate for mistakes. Plus you're trading off critical thinking and creativity for voluminous memorization. There's rigorous and public ranking, and the kids at the top of the class are getting so much supplemental tutoring - 10 hours or more a week.”
–mswp

“Using both systems at different times in their lives has worked out really well. They are bilingual as well as being bicultural. My recommendation is get your child into a good kindergarden and during that 3 year period, see how it goes. Then start looking for a primary school that you like. We visited many and by the second and third could see big differences among them. Select one that feels right for you and your child. You may need to eventually get extra help for your child if you are not native speakers of Chinese. And if you don't speak Chinese now, start learning because it will only help you later communicate with teachers and understand things your child brings home.” –happyhere

Forum Links:

What are our options for school in Shanghai?

Can a foreign child attend a local school?

Reference:
Shanghai education hompage
http://www.shmec.gov.cn/index.html

The fee standard regulation
http://www.age06.com/gardenportal/Detail.aspx?InfoGuid=20e1e577-77c0-40ed-a20c-f2f14126d6c3

Qualified schools list
http://shwomen.eastday.com/shtzw/node33/node124/u1a887.html

Notice of regulations of accepting foreign students
http://www.shmec.gov.cn/attach/xxgk/2605.htm

Guidance for Enrollment of Overseas Students in Jin Shan District (For reference)
http://www.shmec.gov.cn/html/article/200912/55594.php