What You Need To Know About International Schools In Shanghai

Posted by freemexy on December 27th, 2019

In tandem with the launching of SmartShanghai Education, we take a deep dive into the world of international education, showing you where it's headed and what to look out for as a parent. Shanghai international school admission

You probably know this story -- China opened the doors for foreign investments in 1979, and Shanghai, along with the rest of the country, saw a great influx of foreign business. This trend grew stronger in the ‘90s and ‘00s. The executives spearheading these businesses brought their families with them on “expat packages” that paid for a house, a car, and the tuition of the international schools their children went to.

International schools emerged out of the specific necessity to accommodate the children of these executives and other foreigner workers. The schools provided Western educations and ensured that when the family eventually moved back to their home country, the children could continue where they left off.

You probably also know that those big expat packages aren’t so common anymore in 2016. After having built the foundation of their businesses, the first wave of executives left. Their companies then sent managers, then supervisors. Soon enough the need for expat workers reduced as their Chinese counterparts, often educated overseas themselves, could take over their roles.

Foreigners are still coming to Shanghai, but the number of foreigners on expansive expat packages is declining. Despite this, there are more “international schools” than ever before, and each has different educational principles, teaching practices, and communities.

What kinds of institutions are these? Why are there so many international schools, and what is the future of international education in Shanghai? And if you’ve just arrived with your family, or if you’re planning to start a family here, where should you send your children?

SmartShanghai interviewed teachers, parents, and several heads of schools to find out. This is the essential guide to navigating international schools in Shanghai.
“International school”, when used properly in the Chinese educational system, denotes the schools that, by law, can only accept foreign nationals. Although there are a few exceptions to this rule, it is rare for a Chinese mainland passport holder to attend an international school. As such, their curriculum is not supervised by the Ministry of Education.

“In essence, the Chinese government says you are here to educate the expat population of Shanghai, not to educate our population,” says Shanghai American School's (SAS) Head of School, Marcel Gauthier.

Often the pedagogy of international schools is based on the standards, teaching practices, and educational ethos of a specific country. For example, Shanghai American School pedagogy is American, Dulwich is British, and German School Shanghai is German. Other schools have a more integrated approach with a mix of curriculums, such as Shanghai Community International School and Yew Chung International School.

Older international schools were established and run by foreign organizations, individuals, embassies, and consulates. This has changed somewhat with newer schools, where it is a mix of local and foreign stakeholders and administrators. Generally, international schools have the highest tuition of the three categories, often surpassing 250,000rmb a year, depending on the grade level. They are also the most diverse in cultural, ethnic, and national backgrounds.