International and local schools

Some local schools, allowed by the education authorities, are also available for foreigners, but most of them teach in Chinese. If your want your kids to speak fluent Chinese, this may be a good option.

In general, the curriculums in international schools and ordinary local schools are totally different. International schools, such as the American school and British school use the same language, teaching method and textbooks as schools in their homelands. Besides the curriculums, the expenses of the two different schools are also different. You should be clear what kind of education you want your children to receive.

The International Baccalaureate Program

Both the international schools and some local schools may offer the IB program, which may give non-Chinese-speaking students another choice.

If you plan to be here for a long time, learning Chinese or Shanghai dialect is very useful. Some parents may send their children to local schools or kindergartens, which offer international courses in English and Chinese, so that they may enjoy the positive aspects of two education systems and won't lag behind in study because of the language barrier.

Otherwise, international schools are more suitable for kids whose parents are diplomats or senior executives, who move from place to place all the time and want their kids to receive a continuous education. The governments and the companies they work for may also pay education expenses.

University

Most local universities, especially the prestigious ones, are open to foreign students. You may experience a comfortable college life here and get a degree after four or more years' study. But you need to be aware that the degrees you get here, especially those in engineering, medicine or architecture, may not be recognized by your government, mainly because of the language obstacles.

Before you enroll at a local university, you should pass the HSK, just like the TOFEL in the United States.

Most curriculums will be taught in Chinese, so unless you have strong abilities in both written and spoken Chinese, you are likely to flunk the final exams.