In today’s Talking Points: Bonanza for international schools as rapidly increasing numbers of Chinese students look for a springboard into global universities; 22 Chinese universities make the Asia University Rankings top 100, marking the second year running China has dominated the list; new quotas addressing educational inequality set to make university admission fairer for poor students; and, Chinese families paying up to $15,000 for consultation on international university selection.
Rise in Numbers of Chinese Students at International Schools
Growing numbers of Chinese students choosing to study abroad, has seen a swell in enrollment in international schools which follow the British A-level or international Baccalaureate curriculum. These schools, formally reserved for expatriate communities, offer Chinese students a springboard to being accepted at a British or US University. Data from China’s Ministry of Education showed the number of Chinese students studying in a foreign university in 2015 rose by 14 percent from the previous year. Increased demand for international schools offering pathways to foreign universities has encouraged rise in international school fees and more demanding entrance standards for Chinese students.
Read more at Caixin.
China Edge Out Japan in Asia University Rankings
Chinese universities have dominated the latest edition of Times Higher Education’s Asia University Rankings, a list of the region’s 200 premier higher education institutions. The list, which was topped by the National University of Singapore, featured 39 Chinese universities including 22 in the top 100. The top 10 featured two Chinese universities, with Peking taking equal second place and Tsinghua fifth. This marks the second year China has outperformed Japan in the rankings – although both nations have equal number of universities in the list, only 14 of Japan’s made the top 100.
Read more at Times Higher Education.
China Addressing Gaokao Inequality
Officials in China have raised the quota of students from the poorer central and western provinces who can attend the top universities in the richer eastern cities. China’s Hukou system of housing registration means most university places are allocated to local students, meaning students from poorer provinces must score higher in the Gaokao entrance exam to get accepted into top universities – reinforcing the educational divide between rich and poor.
Read more at Bloomberg.
Students Pay $15,000 for University Selection and Application Advice
Chinese students are willing to pay as much as 100,000 RMB ($15,190) for consultation for the selection of international universities. According to a survey reported by Legal Evening Post in June 2016, up to 30% of students use the help of consultants. Consultants are engaged to assist students with the college application process and to select universities abroad based on Gaokao results. Parents will often register with consultancy groups at the outset of their child’s high school program. Consultants offer no guarantee of acceptance into colleges and charge non-refundable fees. Whilst some charge flat fees, others will bill hourly rates of up to 500 RMB per hour. Despite these high fees, Consultancy groups like Shegdaxin Education Institute remain fully booked out.
Read more at China Daily.