Children Education

Apart from schools which are State-run, there are more and more private institutions or education groups emerging. These schools are called privately run schools. Compared with State-run schools, privately run schools charge higher fees, whereas they adopt greater flexibilities in teaching. In major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, one can even find international schools established especially for foreigners. In cities situated in the Pearl River Delta where there is a greater presence of Hong Kong people, one may find primary schools operating with "Hong Kong style" as the attraction.

The Education System of the Mainland

A system of obligatory foundation education of nine years has been implemented in the Mainland. It comprises of six years' primary schooling and three years' junior secondary schooling. In allocation of school places, the foremost consideration is distance from home. Full-time schooling is the general practice, and school children have their lunch at school. The State is responsible for the education funding, and parents are only required to pay expenses such as sundry items and books.

The foundation education in the Mainland places emphasis not only on the general disciplines, but also on students' moral education. The curriculum for foundation education is three-fold. Apart from academic curriculum such as languages or mathematics, there are also activities curriculum organised by the schools according to each of their conditions. Some examples are technology, literature, art and physical training. Moreover, there are also the "potential courses" for the sake of developing a campus culture. In some schools, sessions of activities such as military training may be organised as a means to develop the discipline of students.

Upon the completion of the nine-year foundation education, school children have to attend an examination for junior secondary students. In accordance with their choices and the results they have achieved in the examination, successful graduates would be admitted to a three-year high schooling. In the Mainland high schools can be broadly classified into general high schools and vocational and technical education. For general high schools, subjects which students study are similar to those of the grammar schools in Hong Kong, and students aim to enter the universities. Popular general high schools are also called key high schools, which are comparable to the elite schools in Hong Kong, and competition for places in these schools is keen. Vocational and technical education takes the form of either vocational high school, general middle schools for the technical, schools for the technicians or schools for the continuing education of adults. Vocational high schools offer a myriad of courses, and these courses are mainly designed for the service industry and are highly specialised. For instance, courses for the garment industry can be divided into garment manufacturing techniques and marketing, fashion design and marketing, model shows and so on. General middle schools and schools for the technicians aim to train up technicians required by individual enterprises.

Upon the completion of three-year high school education, students who have achieved good grades in the examination for high schools will further receive tertiary education. Tertiary education takes the form of undergraduate and advanced vocational studies respectively. Undergraduate studies last for four or five years, whereas advanced vocational studies generally last for three years, and graduates are granted diploma upon completion.

Tips for Hong Kong Children Studying in the Mainland

For Hong Kong people who work in the Mainland and who have to make arrangements for their children to receive education, they have to consider their long-term education needs apart from the curriculum and school places to be allocated. If parents are working in the Mainland only temporarily, they have to consider the issues of adaptation and curriculum conversion when these children return to Hong Kong or go to other places for their studies. In view of these factors, some Hong Kong people will send their children to international schools or schools specially designed for them, so that they will be able to adapt to the new learning environment or curriculum if their parents move again. As for families which are likely to return to Hong Kong all together after a period of time, they have to note that English learning in the Mainland generally starts later and its level lags behind that of Hong Kong. Parents should give more thoughts to how to upkeep their children's English levels.