Despite the hype in certain circles in the West surrounding the perceived merits of the highly competitive education systems found in China and other parts of Asia, some concerned parties in America have begun to question the consequences of high-pressure schooling in general.

Lauded as the one of the most popular documentaries in America in the past few years, " Race to Nowhere, directed by ex-Wall Street lawyer and mother-of-three Vicki Abeles and film editor and director Jessica Congdon, examines this issue and comes to the interesting, albeit controversial, conclusion that "schools and parental pressure" are adversely affecting students – in other words, placing such a heavy emphasis on scholastic and academic achievement is crushing our kids.

Since its release, the documentary has been screened at theaters, schools and community centers across the US and from 3-5pm on Saturday, October 15 BCIS (Beijing City International School) will be screening the film for free followed by a Q&A section with Vicki Abeles herself via Skype.

If you’re interested in attending, contact Yisha Niu in the BCIS Marketing Department at yisha.niu@bcis.cn or 8771 7171 ext 5006 by October 14th to RSVP.

For more information, click here.

More information:

Race to Nowhere BCIS screening information here and here.
IMDB: Race to Nowhere credits
Jay Matthews on The Washington Post: Why ‘Race to Nowhere’ Documentary is Wrong
Also on The Washington Post: ‘Race to Nowhere’ film highlights stress students face in high-pressure academics
John Merrow on the Huffington Post: ‘Race to Nowhere:’ It’s no ‘Waiting for ‘Superman’, ‘ but it’s Honest
Connected Principals: Race to Nowhere: One Principal’s Response
Mother Jones: America’s "Race to Nowhere"

News arrived in my inbox that Shanghai-based therapy center Olivia’s Place has very recently opened a Beijing branch called Eliott’s Corner.They will offer occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and educational psychology to both local and expatriate children.

This is great news for families with children who need expert pediatric therapy services. Until now, therapy services have been sparse and limited to Beijing’s larger hospitals and Care for Children (Beijing’s only dedicated special needs school). The arrival of Eliott’s Corner means that families have more care options, which is always a good thing.

And good news for downtowners: Eliott’s Corner is located in Liangma Qiao.

What I find interesting is that Olivia’s Place (and hopefully by extension Eliott’s Corner) seem to have a focus on affordable, accessible care. For parents of children with "significant therapy needs" who are unable to pay the cost of their child’s therapy, the Olivia’s Place Foundation can step in to cover some of the costs.  

I hope to find out more from Eliott’s Corner founder Jacqueline Chen later this week. Stay tuned for more details!