A child’s school lies at the center of their life, second only to family as the place where they grow, learn, play and make friends. We’ve taken a look back at some of the events and stories from Beijing’s international schools during 2018.

The educational year began, of course, with the Jingkids International School Expo 2018 (JISE 2018). (Learn more about the 2019 event here.) Among the hot topics under discussion was the shortage of graduates in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math):

Shortage of STEM Graduates “a Crisis in Education,” Says Speaker at Beijing International School Expo 2018

In May, artist William Boyd, an old Harrovian, visited Harrow Beijing to talk about his creative work and collaborations:

June 2018 School News: BSB, Shunyi Collaborates with MIT, DCB’s “Sounds of Spring,” and More!

Our most-read education story of 2018 concerned the financial crisis at Beijing BISS International School (BISS). We’re happy to report that the school was saved and is returning to normality.

“No Soap, No Pencils”: Former BISS Teachers Describe Life at Crisis-Hit School

August was an important month for the British School of Beijing, Sanlitun (BSB Sanlitun), as they opened their state-of-the-art new Early Years building, the Li Building:

Space to Grow: BSB Sanlitun’s New Early Years Building Has the School’s Values Built In

And the new school year rang in the changes for several schools, with new principals or co-principals at BSB Sanlitun, 3E International School, the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB), and Yew Chung International School Beijing (YCIS Beijing).

September 2018 School News: New Leaders, New Facilities

In September our columnist Hamilton Gregg reported on the chaos surrounding the SAT and ACT, tests used by US colleges to make decisions on admission. (Note: although these acronyms originally stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test and American College Testing, they now officially don’t stand for anything.)

Old College Try: More Testing Chaos

Amid a competitive academic environment which can be stressful for young people, the city’s international schools are leading the way in highlighting the importance of the mental and emotional health of their students. Harrow Beijing held a “Well-Being Week” from October 29 to November 2, sharing a theme with World Mental Health Day 2019: “Youth in a Changing World.”

December 2018 School News: Well-Being and Sports in Focus!

And the year ended on a high for Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), with both schools shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious International School Awards:

Beijing Schools Shortlisted for Prestigious Awards

Photo: coventrytelegraph.net

Preparing for university is one of the big challenges high school students face in their academic life. Many schools include programs to prep up students for admissions tests and the like, but even these programs are subject to change because of the evolving nature of international education and advances in technology. What do these trends mean for students preparing for university? How should our current education system adapt to a future built on interconnectivity and artificial intelligence?

Those topics are the focus of Impactful Future Trends in Education | 未来，我们的子女将需要怎样的技能？, a forum to be hosted by Shang Learning, a life-skills learning and educational advisory center in China, and CHAO, a platform which “designs a series of spaces that aim to inspire and elevate a quality lifestyle”. The joint event takes place at Sanlitun CHAO, No. 4 Workers’ Stadium East Road, Chaoyang on June 17 at 4-9pm.

Shang Learning and CHAO have invited panelists from different education institutions, from China and the wider world; “speakers [who have] innovative initiatives in providing progressive and forward-looking educational programs for both high school students and university students,” according to Shang Learning. beijingkids contributor Hamilton Gregg will moderate the forum. Gregg, a senior admission consultant and college counselor, is the first professional educational consultant in China with a myriad of experiences working as a school administrator and teacher around the globe.

See below for more details about the event.

On the college level, a well-quoted report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “Turning the Tide,” calls for three major changes in admissions: eliminate excessive academic pressure; emphasize personal achievements and ethical citizenship instead of the number of accomplishments; and reduce the ever growing gap between students of various income levels and backgrounds.

On the middle and high school level, The Character Skills Assessment (CSA) is an innovative tool built by test experts from top prep schools to complement the SSAT by examining character traits, such as teamwork, empathy and responsibility, a student demonstrates every day in school and in the community.

These changes, along with technological advancement, have pushed educators around the world to ponder:

– What do these shifts in admission criteria mean to future applicants?
– How should our current education system adapt to a future built on inter-connectedness and artificial intelligence?
– What does the next generation of jobs look like?
– How do we best prepare our children for the future?
– What are the essential skills that the future generation must have to thrive in a drastically different world?

Impactful Future Trends in Education, June 17
Ages 16+. The pilot joint event of Shang Learning and CHAO focuses on the changes in the college admissions area and their effects on high school students and schools. The event consists of two main parts: a panel discussion at 4pm in the afternoon, followed by a sit-down gala dinner at 7pm for selected guests in the evening. Forum cannot be registered separately. Forum and gala cost is RMB 600 per family (one parent and one child). 4-9pm. To register, call 400 060 1010, email hello@shanglearning.com, or scan the QR code on the right (the contact is gala coordinator Tony Tong). Sanlitun CHAO, No. 4 Workers’ Stadium East Road, Chaoyang. 北京市朝阳区工人体育场东路4号三里屯CHAO

Photos: greymatters via Pixabay, courtesy of Shang Learning

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Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
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