East meets West in Star River curriculum
March 31, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE first school in Shanghai to offer specialized education to the children of returning overseas Chinese opened student recruitment recently, attracting a large number of parents eager to take advantage of an "East meets West" approach to schooling.
The Shanghai Star River Overseas Chinese School, located in Minhang District's Zhuanqiao area, is due to open in September with up to four classes of 25 students each.
The recruitment process attracted about 150 parents, exceeding the amount of classroom space currently available.
Colin Qiu and Lily Wu accompanied their six-year-old daughter to the interview. Wu lived in the United States for several years when pursuing her postdoctoral degree. She now works as a university teacher in Shanghai. The couple said they had been looking for a school that blends in Western education features for a long time.
"We think domestic education cultivates too much stereotyping in children," said Qiu. "We want her to develop her own personal characteristics."
The couple said they visited several private schools before applying for Star River.
The school will cover primary and junior high school education. It is designed to help ease some of the cultural shock many children feel returning to China following extended periods abroad.
Shanghai High School will operate the new school from grades one to nine.
The curriculum will be bilingual, based on the international coursework used by the Shanghai High School International Division. Except for Chinese lessons, most of the classes will be conducted in English, and much of the curriculum material will be drawn from the US.
However, students will be required to complete the basic requirements of domestic compulsory education, said Tang Shengchang, headmaster of the Shanghai High School.
He said Chinese parents who have lived overseas are more interested in an international approach to education - one that celebrates multicultural diversity and is more tailored to the needs and talents of individual students. Many of the parents are hoping their children will continue studies abroad someday, he added.
The modern age of technology will also play a role in the curriculum, with the iPad used as a teaching tool.
Tang said Chinese and American education systems differ in depth and scope.
"Chinese education centers on 'profound education,' but American schools aim at delivering a much broader range of knowledge," he said.
The interviews with parents and their children were conducted bilingually. Children were invited to participate in group dancing and were asked to take English listening tests and answer bilingual questions about mathematics.
English proficiency is a major criterion, Tang said.
Pamela Vanias, an American teacher from the Shanghai High School, said the English level of children who attended the interview was wide-ranging. She said she also observed closely how children interacted with teachers and with one another.
"Some of them were very well-behaved and active, with good speaking and listening abilities," she said. "And some were not."
The school will organize more interviews before June and will start admitting junior high students next year. The tuition for one year is 83,000 yuan (US$12,769).
The Shanghai Star River Overseas Chinese School, located in Minhang District's Zhuanqiao area, is due to open in September with up to four classes of 25 students each.
The recruitment process attracted about 150 parents, exceeding the amount of classroom space currently available.
Colin Qiu and Lily Wu accompanied their six-year-old daughter to the interview. Wu lived in the United States for several years when pursuing her postdoctoral degree. She now works as a university teacher in Shanghai. The couple said they had been looking for a school that blends in Western education features for a long time.
"We think domestic education cultivates too much stereotyping in children," said Qiu. "We want her to develop her own personal characteristics."
The couple said they visited several private schools before applying for Star River.
The school will cover primary and junior high school education. It is designed to help ease some of the cultural shock many children feel returning to China following extended periods abroad.
Shanghai High School will operate the new school from grades one to nine.
The curriculum will be bilingual, based on the international coursework used by the Shanghai High School International Division. Except for Chinese lessons, most of the classes will be conducted in English, and much of the curriculum material will be drawn from the US.
However, students will be required to complete the basic requirements of domestic compulsory education, said Tang Shengchang, headmaster of the Shanghai High School.
He said Chinese parents who have lived overseas are more interested in an international approach to education - one that celebrates multicultural diversity and is more tailored to the needs and talents of individual students. Many of the parents are hoping their children will continue studies abroad someday, he added.
The modern age of technology will also play a role in the curriculum, with the iPad used as a teaching tool.
Tang said Chinese and American education systems differ in depth and scope.
"Chinese education centers on 'profound education,' but American schools aim at delivering a much broader range of knowledge," he said.
The interviews with parents and their children were conducted bilingually. Children were invited to participate in group dancing and were asked to take English listening tests and answer bilingual questions about mathematics.
English proficiency is a major criterion, Tang said.
Pamela Vanias, an American teacher from the Shanghai High School, said the English level of children who attended the interview was wide-ranging. She said she also observed closely how children interacted with teachers and with one another.
"Some of them were very well-behaved and active, with good speaking and listening abilities," she said. "And some were not."
The school will organize more interviews before June and will start admitting junior high students next year. The tuition for one year is 83,000 yuan (US$12,769).
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