Page 17 - ELG1802 Feb Issue 454

CHINA SPECIAL FEATURE .
SPECIAL FEATURE

5 things you

need to know

about China’s

summer school

market...

Europe has long dominated the junior summer school market. Now, however, the Chinese are boarding school residences. It gives a real The biggest complaint from our can lead to a somewhat hectic excursion. If
arriving in the UK in numbers, replacing the cash-strapped Russians and set to overtake the Italians. sense of being a British student, especially summer-school students is that they the parents had a top complaint, it might
be that their children didn’t get enough
haven’t had enough time! More
when local or other international students
But where are they going and what are they looking for? The language travel department of the are involved. It also gives them a greater 5seriously, they say many places they exposure to British students – most of
Chinese education provider New Oriental supplies the answers sense of independence, something they visit can be overcrowded with students whom are away on their own summer
might not feel in a host family. from around the world and tourists, which holidays.
The type of provider running the extremely popular, for obvious reasons, but most of our students the experience they
course is incredibly important, we’re noticing a shift towards more rural hoped for when travelling abroad, to truly
both for parents and for us. There areas where many of the country’s good feel the local style of education.
1is an absolute preference for direct boarding schools are It is also of very high importance to the
partnerships with mainstream educators: While we don’t expect the bigger cities to parents that students have something
schools, boarding schools, universities, etc become unpopular anytime soon, where tangible to bring home – a certification
who run their own programmes. there is a good educator offering a unique based on an exam or project is most
Where this isn’t available, we look for as experience, students are less concerned desirable.
many accreditations as possible. Almost about location. However, London and
nothing will be considered without at least Oxford must be on the excursion program – When it comes to accommodation,
an accreditation from the British Council. it just wouldn’t be considered a real trip to each student has their own
Parents want to feel certain that their the UK without them. preference. Some middle school
children are in good hands and that they’re 4students (aged 12–15) prefer a
receiving quality education from accredited, If we had to choose the top-two host family – many say that it’s like a home
well-known and trusted educators. programme types in the UK, it away from home. But it’s not easy to meet
would have to be English language everybody’s expectations.
Location is also extremely 3and academic subject programmes, One student has a family with kids and
important. There needs to be and academic immersion. Both offer real pets, another stays with an elderly couple.
a balance between somewhere experiences in real subjects, and in the case One is not better than the other, but the
2 famous and absolute safety. Places of the latter programme the all-important experience differs. Older students in high
like London, Oxford and Cambridge are connection with local students. It provides school and university enjoy university and

... and 5 things needs for improvement for every centre accredited centres become EL Gazette
Second, the areas of strength and the
The top-scoring 20 per cent of
Chinese need to know are published on the summary statement Centres of Excellence.
Fourth, we print a complete list of all
about the UK at the bottom of the first page of their our Centres of Excellence twice a year, in
inspection report published at www.
britishcouncil.org/education/accreditation/ March and September.
The first thing the Chinese need to centres. Finally, in this issue we have prepared
know about British-Council-accredited Third, for ten years, the EL Gazette has a special ranking of Centres of Excellence
centres is that inspectors do not just calculated the score for every centre based for under-18s on the next two pages.
pass or fail them. They can award them on the summary statement by adding up It should give Chinese students and
areas of strength or point out needs for the areas of strengths and deducting the their parents most of the information they
improvement. needs for improvement. need.

16 February 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 17