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schooling with a child

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kymcc

Has anyone had any experience as an international student with a child? I am looking into going to school in China, but I am a single parent. My child is 5, and I am finding it difficult to obtain information on what is available to me for them. Am I looking for the information incorrectly? Please help.

Victor Garcia 6

Hi. What city are you going to? I have a friend in Japan that just sent me email for a friend in Quanzhou. And I have a couple of young teacher friends here in Monterey that are looking into going.
I’ll be going to Silicon Valley to see for them about resources
My wife and I both are ESL teachers too.
One advise is to get WhatsApp if you don’t have it.  It’s free from overseas.

kymcc

I am planning on being in Shenyang, Liaoning. I am unfamiliar with the different apps and how to navigate them.

Victor Garcia 6

I got WhatsApp because all my ESL students have it to text back home for free. And the girl from Japan communicates through that app with me.
It’s free. Just go on Apps

Victor Garcia 6

Look on Apps store and they have translation apps which could be very helpful when there

kymcc

I have the WeChat app currently, I knew that one was common so that's why I got it. I didn't realize whatsapp was also used

SidFrancis

Living in China with a 9 year old son who was born here. Education for ex-pat kids is a minefield - if you have the money you send to an international school that teaches an international syllabus - but the cost is phenomenal. Otherwise there are alternative type schools that teach non-official syllabus - like Montessori. But these are few, also expensive, massively popular so hard to find a place and usually very inconvenient unless you have own transport. Then there's home schooling - in bigger cities home school groups have been set up by ex pats - but with the COVID these are probably far less active since many ex-pats are no longer here. The last resort are Chinese state schools - where as an outsider you'll also have to pay a fee.  The level of teaching - being rote style learning - is usually far lower than most of us would tolerate in any modern educational system - subject focus is primarily set on Maths and Chinese, very little effort is devoted to nurturing the individual through creative subjects, group work or problem solving, usually little resource is given to children who have learning difficulties and special needs (which is the case with a child who cant speak Chinese as a first language), and kids are already expected to take exams from the 1st grade.

If your kid is 5 then best you send to a kindergarten to learn Chinese (our son learned in 3 months at Kindergarten through language submersion), but choose carefully. If you're enrolled as an international student maybe your university has a kindergarten and can offer some sort of deal. Otherwise the good kindergartens are also expensive - but a lot more humane and a far better language leaning environment than the regular school system.  Being a 5 or 6 years old in a kindergarten is quite normal.

In China everyone uses Wechat - WhatsApp is blocked and requires a VPN to fully function.

Victor Garcia 6

Hi Sid,
I’m a teacher in Monterey, CA.  There is a couple here that want to go to China - what city are you at and would you recommend it or others?

VANNROX

In China everyone uses Wechat - WhatsApp is blocked and requires a VPN to fully function.

For most children I would recommend full immersion. Send them to a local school.

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