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More Options Than Ever, Educating Your Child in Beijing

Choosing how to educate your child is no easy task anywhere in the world. In Beijing, the difficulties are compounded by factors such as the rapidly changing nature of its society.
And as Beijing changes, so are its schools. Parents have more choice not only in the number of schools available, but also in the methodologies employed. Concepts such as Reggio, Multiple Intelligences, and Montessori are making their presences known.
The landscape of people interested in a private school education is also changing. Local Chinese, who now have higher disposal incomes and whose children are facing increasing competition, are now considering the new opportunities that are arising. Returned overseas Chinese are flocking to China, many with their children in tow, seizing the opportunity to get back to their roots. According to an October 2005 People's Daily report, there were 50,000 returned overseas Chinese working in Beijing. Some local Chinese are choosing spouses from other cultures. And many expats are choosing to stay on for the long term, while China and studying Chinese gains interest across the world.
People from the various segments of society face a tough question: Is it best to educate your child in a western or an eastern way?

The Chinese approach the question in two basic ways. Educating a child is sometimes compared to force feeding a duck (tianya填鸭) in China or letting a sheep eat freely in a pasture (fangyang放羊) in the West.  Parents wrestle over issues such as creativity, individuality, criticism, tests, free time, and homework.
Language is one key issue that is considered. Parents who wish their children to speak both Chinese and English must carefully consider the best way of educating them. How much of each language is enough? And what is the best method? Is being bilingual really better anyway?
Obstacles may stand in a parent's way. Among these are regulations. For instance, of the schools mentioned in this article, all but two of the foreign schools accept local Chinese. Another big one is cost. Governmental statistics from 2005 state that the minimum amount per year a family must legally spend on education in Beijing is 714.87 yuan (US$89.58). Many families go way beyond that. In an article published in 2005, the Beijing Morning Newspaper said that local Chinese parents will pay at least 90,000 yuan (US$11,278) for their children's entire pre-university educations, but some foreign schools charge more than this for one year's tuition. Taking this into consideration, some foreign schools are reducing their tuitions considerably.  
We first talked to parents to see what solutions they found to educational quandaries. Then we asked some students to share some of their experiences. Finally, we let the schools-international, bilingual, and local-tell their stories about how they addressed questions about language and culture and about everyday issues. We included a cross section of what is available in Beijing. Every school has an interesting approach, combining what they believed to be the best of the East and the West.
In the end, the most important thing is to find a school that fits your child's needs.