Parents who have never been to the Beijing International School Expo (BISE) might wonder if the trip and talking to so many schools at one time are worth the information that could be gathered. We asked BISE veterans for their honest feedback.
Getting an Impression
Cissy, whose son, Andrew, is seven years old, went to BISE last year along with more than four thousand parents, and will attend again this year. She went to find out first-hand information concerning price, curriculum, and teaching and support staff qualities.
She also uses the BISE to see if staff and teachers genuinely care about children and education themselves. “Education should be the core of the right teachers.”
“I find it very easy to make a comparison [at BISE]compared to visiting schools one-by-one.”
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Great for Working Parents
Joanne, who is a working mom, says the BISE is “very consolidated.” She explained, “It’s a very efficient platform where we can understand the entrance requirements of different schools.” Joanne runs a fair-trade chocolate import business in both Beijing and Hong Kong.
Going to BISE helped her in making the decision to eventually send her son to the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB). She was able to narrow down her choices through talking to her preferred schools.
“[Parents] can directly talk with school representatives to understand more about the culture of each school.”
When she was speaking to schools, she was concerned most about the student to teacher ratio, the overall school environment, and the mission of the school.
Staff Stability Matters
“I’m also concerned about the academic staff stability.” She added, “I would say if a school has very stable manpower, this represents that the school is wiling to care, not just about the students, but also the staff.”
She pointed out that happy staff and teachers will eventually benefit the students and the school overall.
Comment Below
Have you been to BISE? What do you look for when you’re shopping around for the right school for your child?
Find your right school at 7th Beijing International School Expo (BISE) hosted by beijingkids and JingKids on February 18-19, 2017 from 10am-4pm at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town. Find out more information about the event here.
We suggest you take advantage of one of the few events in Beijing for families that are actually free – register now for a quick and painless breeze through the check-in line.
More stories by this author here.
Email: vanessajencks@truerun.com
Twitter: @vanessa_jencks
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