School!

I'm finally uploading some photos from school for you to meet the new class. This is everyone except for the new student I just got on Monday. Now, I'm capped out at 18 and can't get any more. 11 wild and silly boys and 7 girls! I somehow ended up with several Australian and British kids this year...I thoroughly enjoy listening to their adorable accents!

Last week, the director of Chinese studies at HKIS sent out an email about education in China. Here are a few interesting stats from it:

Before 1949, 80% of the Chinese population was illiterate: Before the People’s Republic of China was founded, nearly 80% of the 500 million people living in China were illiterate. During Mao Zedong’s rule, education became one of the government’s chief priorities and experienced great change during the Cultural Revolution.

Chinese youth have a 99% literacy rate: UNICEF reports that from 2000-2007, Chinese youth ages 15-24 years old enjoyed a 99% literacy rate.
Preschool curriculum: Preschools and kindergartens put a lot of emphasis on training young children, since the Chinese believe that this time is crucial to personality development. Students are taught to play games, dance, sing, act and uphold the values of Truth, Kindness and Beauty.

Special education: Gifted and special needs students were not addressed until the 1985 National Conference on Education. There are now 1,540 special education schools in China, plus special vocation training schools for special needs students.
Students must take a test to go to high school or vocational school: Those who do not pass the test effectively end their formal education.