Student life at international schools

While most students can only wait and hope to be selected for a better school, it's a different story for those who can afford to study at international schools.

Dulwich College International School of Beijing accepts students from kindergarten age to teenagers. It divides students according to their interests or their strengths.

Chen Xialin, Chinese Dpt. Director of Dulwich College International School of Beijing, said, "Our school's biggest goal is to allow children study in a confident environment. So English and mathematics are taught in small classes, which are divided by different levels. We hope students could learn with others who are at the same level as he is. So he can study in a relatively relaxed environment. "

The system seems to work well.

Zi Yu, a student in Dulwich College International School of Beijing, said, "Going to school is very interesting. We often draw pictures or make something like a mask. "

Besides learning things they are interested in, there is less pressure on students when applying for their next school. They also have the freedom to plan their own futures. Lisa is from Germany. She is a student in the senior high school department at Dulwich.

Lisa, also a student in Dulwich College International School of Beijing, said, "I plan to go back to Europe. I will apply for universities in Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Britain. "

The confidence to make decisions about their own futures may be the biggest difference between these students and their Chinese peers.

Experts say it's a situation which needs urgent attention within China's education system.