Learning Chinese - Neighborhood schools opened to expat kids

CITYLIFE / Hip & New






Neighborhood schools opened to expat kids

(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-12-11 17:24


The children of expats working in Shanghai will be allowed to enroll in
their neighborhood public schools starting next year.

A new regulation, which will be in place in time for the start of the
school year in September, will give a wider choice to overseas parents
who benefit the city's development, the Shanghai Education Commission
said yesterday.

Previously, overseas children could only attend international schools or
one of 150 selected public schools.

But some expat parents complained the public schools were too far away,
officials said.

"The upcoming regulation is designed to facilitate expat parents who are
working and making a contribution to the city's progression," said an
official surnamed Zhou at the commission's international exchange
division.

Children will still be able to attend one of the 150 selected schools,
but could instead enroll in their residence's catchment-area
kindergarten, primary or high school. There they will be merged in with
Chinese students, rather than attend foreign-only classes, as can happen
at the selected schools.

Zhou said tuition fees for expat children would be slightly higher than
those for their Chinese classmates, who pay about 200 yuan (US$25) a
semester for equipment in kindergarten and primary school and a fee of
1,000 yuan a semester at high school.

Zhou said a detailed fee structure was yet to be approved by the local
price authority.

For the first time, the rules make a distinction between the children of
expats and children who come to the country on their own to study. These
children, who are mainly from Asian countries, will still only be allowed
to study at one of the 150 selected public schools.

Expats who want to send their children to a local school must submit one
parent's work permit or foreign expert certificate, one parent's one-year
or above residence permit in the city, real-estate ownership certificate
or property lease contract.

A letter from the parent's employer is also needed to demonstrate the
relationship between the child and expat, the regulation ruled.

The city's public schools teach about 2,000 foreign students under the
age of 18. The number is less than 10 percent of the amount of university
students from overseas in the city.










Feature




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks




� Warm your body up in this bitter winter!

� Three steps to beat sensitive skin!

� Get your youth back!

� A taste of Africa

� Lomo your life





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Authentic imperial cuisine
Bars&Cafes: Bastion of the backpacker
Weekend&Holiday: Tieshizi Hutong
Shopping: Antidote to mass production
What's on: Curse of the Golden Flower premieres







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: More than stereotypical
Bars&Cafes: Break with tradition
Weekend&Holiday: Celebrate Christmas at Xintiandi
Shopping: Modern miracle creams
What's on: Musical gift





Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet