The demand for spaces in UK boarding schools by Far Eastern and especially Chinese students is, as always, on the rise. According to recent figures published by the Independent Schools Council, this year, there are 24,554 non-British students attending British schools with parents living overseas. Over one-third of them are from Hong Kong and Mainland China (5,859 from Hong Kong and 3428 from Mainland China).
This demand for a British education by Chinese families is not only concentrated on senior school level. Prep schools are now also becoming more attractive to Chinese parents. What impact does this surge have on schools and their admission process? How can British schools enhance the whole experience for the parents involved - current and prospective? Are Chinese pupils seen as a lifeline and an asset to schools or a setback?
Surely the admission of Far-Eastern pupils must be seen as an asset, if not a lifeline to many schools. Chinese parents, especially those from extremely wealthy families, are very keen on sending their children to study in the UK because this is seen as a gateway to a successful international career and as China becomes more sophisticated, younger children are being sent over. They are, therefore, prepared to pay full boarding fees, if not overseas fees in some cases. Because of the deep-rooted culture and traditions, the work ethics and the upbringing of Chinese children mean that their standard of study, their dedication and their respect for their priorities and elders would almost always guarantee great results. This reflects very positively on the students’ education and future career but it is also very favourable for the school attainment as a whole.
So where do the issues lie? There are in fact a number of obstacles facing the schools as well as the parents – current British nationals as well as Chinese parents hoping for a British education for the children.
As more British parents opt for the co-education option for their children, single-sex schools are struggling with numbers and therefore, Chinese students can be their saviour. However, many schools worry that this is in fact the reason British parents stay away from single-sex schools. They feel that to get a traditional British education, the schools need to have less and less foreign nationals. Even though many prefer the social diversity, around 3 to 4 years ago, some schools were prompted to place a discreet limit of around 10 per cent on the amount of Chinese students they would accept. As time went on and the recession started hitting schools, this limit setting seems to have been relaxed. Many schools started to realise that the admission of Chinese students is a great opportunity that needs to be embraced and marketed correctly. They also began to realise that Chinese parents as well as the agencies or schools overseas that help with the admissions process find many obstacles within the system and actually need help.
Jessica Ogilvy-Stuart, the founder of the Brandon Learning Centre, the only English Speaking Board curriculum based centre in Hong Kong which prepares pupils for Common Entrance examinations and places them in British schools, feels there are many issues that need to be addressed in order to make the experience smoother for parents.
‘Schools need to cater properly for Chinese parents taking into account cultural differences. For a start, the school website needs to have a Chinese translation and it is vital to have the school policy clearly visible. There also needs to be an open dialogue between the school and the parents otherwise it is the child who gets stuck in the middle especially if the parents do not master the English language.’
As well as the school literature needing to be accessible to parents in the Chinese language, there is also an issue with the process of entry into the UK and the visa requirements. There have been a number of cases where schools as well as parents were facing problems because of miscommunication or unclear guidelines regarding the ever-changing visa applications and immigration laws.
Many schools have already embraced the idea of needing to tailor-make their approach to the Chinese market and in fact, many exhibitions and visits are organized in China – Hong Kong and Mainland, for school representatives and parents to meet. However, this seems to fill only a ‘phase one’ plan which leads us to what seems to be a vital need for the employment of an Overseas Liaison Officer in schools that actively seeks and welcomes students, helping them and their parents every step of the way from the first enquiry through to the end of the student’s career at the school. This person would be the first ‘point-of-call’ and the link between the parents back home and the school within the UK.
Working hand in hand – the Senior Management team, Admissions and Marketing and an Overseas Liaison Officer would help make such a journey easy, accessible and much more welcoming for everyone involved.
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