For the coming weeks, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from our upcoming 2014-2015 School Choice Guide, which comes out in early February 2014. Scroll down for more information on how to participate in our annual school choice fair in March 2014.
Enrolling international students since 1973, Fangcaodi (芳草地国际学校) is a well-known local primary school that boasts a long history and some well-known alumni, including the sons of the late Cambodian monarch Prince Sihanouk. With its large faculty and international student body, the school touts its highly experienced teachers, excellent facilities, multi-faceted curriculum and progressive teaching methods – all for a reasonable cost.
Founding date: 1956
School type: Primary school
Tuition fees (2014-2015 Academic Year):
Registration fee: RMB 500
Annual tuition: RMB 48,000
Registered with the Ministry of Education? Yes
Lunch fee: Included in the price of tuition. Fangcaodi offers Chinese lunch options, with
some organic produce.
Transportation fee: Varies according to distance. RMB 2,600/semester (within Third
Ring Road); RMB 2,700/semester (within Fourth Ring Road); RMB 2,800/semester (within Fifth Ring Road).
Age range: 6-12
Number of students: 4,400
Nationality of students: US, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Russia
Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes
Chinese students accepted? Yes
Primary teaching language: Chinese
Languages taught: English
Class size: 25-40
Teacher/student ratio: 1:20
School hours: 8am-3.15pm
After school activities: Developed according to student interest.
School facilities: 200m racetrack, basketball courts and a library.
Total area of campus: 280,000 sqm
School nurse: Yes
Contact: 1 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District. (8563 9140, fcdyy@hotmail.com) www.fcd.com.cn 朝阳区日坛北路1号
Word from a Parent:
Coming to Beijing from Canada, one of our main goals for our sons was they would both would learn and become fluent in Chinese. After trying out several different schools, we have been the happiest with the international department at Fangcaodi (FCD) even though it took a while for us to understand the Chinese education system. The school teaches the Chinese curriculum, which is very focused on exams, but in a way that is catered towards foreign students. For example, they allowed my eldest son, who started there in grade 3, to take Chinese classes at a lower grade level, but also skip grades for the English classes (his native language). The school is truly multinational with kids from a very broad range of countries. While this can create additional challenges, the benefit for us was that my sons could get exposure to different cultures, but also make friends with other native English speakers so their English skills continued to improve. Also, we have generally had very good teachers who really cared about their students, and were open to regular communication with us. And of course, a big plus is how affordable the tuition is. Overall, I think that attending FCD definitely enriched their experience in China.
– Victor Wong (father of Ethan, grade 4, and Victor Jr, graduated 2 years ago)
For more information on the 2014-2015 School Choice Guide e-mail editor@beijing-kids.com and click here to view the 2013-2014 School Choice Guide on ISSUU. For more information on our upcoming School Choice Fair on March 1-2, 2014, please e-mail schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.
Photo by Sui
