Expat parents in China have a choice of international schools

International schools in China are a fairly new concept, but already there are some 600 mostly found in Tier 1 cities and provincial capitals.

The demand for international schools in China is increasing every year, as expat families arrive and Chinese parents see the advantages their children will gain from an international school education. Most are set in and around China’s massive cities of Beijing and Shanghai as well as in provincial capitals including Guangzhou and Chengdu. By 2022, it’s estimated some 881,000 students will be studying at internationals schools, with demand both from expat families and local Chinese families who understand the importance of a Western-style education.

Traditionally, Chinese middle-class children are restricted from attending international schools but, this being China, new types of school have opened in order to take care of this trying regulation. At present, there are four types of international school, all with a slightly different focus, but all offering an education suitable for today’s young people. For example, ‘Expat Schools’ offer an international education for expat children as well as for children with a parent who holds a foreign passport and the children of expats from other Asian countries. They’re mostly found in Beijing, Guangdong and Shanghai, and pupils are mainly children of returning Chinese families, African and German children and the children of Asian expats.

Sino-Foreign Cooperative schools are, as the name suggests, joint operations between a local Chinese owner and a foreign school or education company. Both local Chinese students and expatriate children attend, but the schools are restricted to secondary and higher education and are mostly found in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Chinese-owned private schools are another option, with both local Chinese and expat students studying for internationally-recognised qualifications. The schools are internationally oriented, with an emphasis on English, a second foreign language and an arts programme. Bi-lingual learning is offered, and they’re often known as ‘Experimental Schools’ or ‘Bilingual Schools’.