I awoke this morning to my inbox, FB, and other accounts blowing up with the news from the largest bribery and fraud scandal in college admissions ever. The outrage and disgust are palpable around the world. The scandal primarily focuses on two actresses, CEOs, and many others including coaches and admissions at elite universities in the US. To say that I echo the sentiments of my peers is obvious, but my real question is will anything really change?

In the high anxiety climate of admissions and the perverse concept that only elite schools educate well, families seemingly will do anything to access those schools. What is damning for me is the fact that parents will pay anything to ensure their child, who may knowingly or unknowingly, be participants in this unethical behavior. Little thought is given to the effect this has on the students and their perception that their parents will buy, cheat, and steal to get them into the likes of Yale and Stanford, to name but two of the schools mentioned. The only thing they learn, and it is not a new concept among the privileged, is that money will buy you anything.

Given the current political climate in the US at the moment, there is a pervading sense that wealth and status are outside basic common ethical and moral mores. But again this is not news. What is a bit scary is that major events like this happen and have happened around the world, through time. If there is money to be given, money to be paid, greed of all sorts will prevail.

While this disgraceful event highlights everything from cheating on SAT and ACT to the involvement of coaches and others, there are other questionable, but acknowledged, forms of similar behavior, and it is not just with university admissions but also at prestigious private day and boarding schools. Donations to buy buildings, researching family wealth during the admission process, legacy admits, and more, are and have been a part of the admissions landscape for ages. In fact, at a recent conference, I shared my overall antipathy toward actions like this in the admission process as being bad for education, particularly for the students involved because of the message that it sends to those students, and it only continues the sentiment that ethics are exempt where money can pave the road to success. But the message is clear – “we (the parents) don’t think you are good enough, so let me buy, rather than pay, for your education.”

Many organizations including the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) both issued statements today regarding ethical practices and standards of their members in response to today’s news. Unfortunately, because one of the people named in the charges is an educational consultant (not an IECA member), the shame surrounding the news has impacted the reputation of independent educational consultants.

As mentioned earlier, where do we go from here- as parents, as students, and as educational consultants who aspire to earn their place at schools based on their intellect and personal attributes? There are so many choices for an excellent education at both the high school and college level, yet there is an adverse perception that some are better than others. Families who truly seek to understand the vast array of differences and how those schools can positively affect not only a student’s education but also their confidence and overall wellbeing now and into the future will find there are consultants who endeavor to provide outstanding options ethically and appropriately.

Sadly, there are those who seek to find shortcuts, exemptions, and other means, as highlighted in the many allegations in the article attached, to circumvent conventional pathways. As a member of both NACAC and IECA, as well as being a board member of IECA, it is my job to educate, encourage, and assist in planning for a student’s future, whatever that may entail. But, needless to say, the route I pave for all my students, at school or as clients, requires hard work, managing expectations and a great deal of trust. In saying this, it is with the knowledge of my peers and colleagues in both organizations that we will continue to trust the system despite today’s shocking and disturbing news.

Photo: ew.com

As parents (happily) send their children back to school with new stationary, backpacks, and uniforms, the parent community has zoomed in on a Chinese school requirement: plastic book covers.

Plastic book covers are literally book jackets that are made of plastic. Schools will often require students to wrap their textbooks, workbooks, and even notebooks in plastic to protect them from water, dirt, and oil–a perfectly reasonable request when considering children’s sticky fingers and clumsy habits.

However, one dad in Hangzhou clearly had enough of plastic wrappers when he decided to test out the toxicity of book wrappers from touch–after all, it’s not as if children would typically chew on their book covers.  Wenfeng Wei tested a book wrapper for cancer causing chemicals, such as dibutylphthalate (DBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and benzene.  He bought seven different brands of plastic book covers, both from online and brick-and-mortar stores, and sent them to Product Quality Supervising and Inspecting Institute of Taizhou City (TQS). All seven products tested high on DBP and DEHP, which have both been proven toxic on some levels. Both DBP and DEHP have been banned in the EU at some point, especially with children’s toys and children’s hospital wards (France). Read the report in Chinese here.

Toxic cancer-causing plastic shouldn’t be surprising to anyone, as shown by the multitude of websites against PVC (vinyl plastic).  In fact, there’s even a campaign to ban “smelly plastic” imports from China.  Oh, and remember the toxic school running tracks? Those were made of recycled plastic and rubber and tested high on toxicity.

The report further shocks parents by pointing out that white paper is toxic as well–so not only should we not buy plastic book covers (opt for leather?), but we should avoid overly white paper because it has fluorescent agents (FWA). Parents should look for yellowish paper–perhaps schools should be petitioned as well!

Photo: 桶装铅笔直销厂家

Ticket scalping, also known as ticket touting, is the act of reselling tickets bought from licensed sellers and selling them at a price determined by the seller.  In China, ticket scalpers (called huang niu, or “yellow cow”) are not limited to doing shady business in front of concert halls and sports stadiums, but are more commonly found in front of hospitals and railway stations.  It is common practice for hospitals in China to only accept walk-ins with a ticketed waiting system (gua hao) rather than schedule visits.  The practice has opened a new market for ticket scalpers in and around well-known hospitals, or hospitals that are very specialized.

Since China lacks pediatricians and healthcare in rural areas, people will crowd to large cities like Beijing for better medical services. The problem is exacerbated because smaller and newer hospitals are often not trusted, causing rural folk to travel for hours or days for medical advice. It’s not uncommon to see people line up outside a hospital at the break of dawn, wait for the entire morning, and leave without an appointment ticket. Hospitals pre-calculate the amount of time each patient requires and assign the number of tickets per day accordingly. Doctors often work overtime, squeezing in returning patients, patients who have traveled from afar, and the family and friends of their guanxi network; but there are only so many hours in the day.

Peace Maternity Hospital

Ticket scalpers take advantage of the high demand in Beijing, charging at least three times the normal cost, often buying out all the tickets and leaving waiters no choice but to buy from them or wait indefinitely.  Many ticket scalpers have inside contacts who help them purchase the tickets before they open to sell to the public, robbing ordinary citizens of their chance of quick affordable care.

Earlier this year, a video of a woman in line at Guang’anmen Hospital criticizing a ticket reseller went viral. The ticket scalper was trying to sell her a RMB 300 ticket for RMB 4,500.  The woman was understandably upset over having brought her sick mother to Beijing, renting a basement room near the hospital for RMB 130 a day, carrying her paralyzed mother to the hospital every day, and still failing to get an appointment with a specialist for her mother. What’s worse, the woman was later harassed by the thuggish ticket scalpers, making her too scared to return.

This year, as a result of President’s Xi’s anti-corruption initiative, authorities have been cracking down on ticket scalpers, arresting over 240 in Beijing alone. Arrests include hospital staff, usually security guards, who were bribed by ticket scalpers. Beijing hospitals have updated the scheduling system, with many hospitals allowing for phone and internet reservations. Some hospitals have increased security, throwing out suspicious ticket scalpers, and others have encouraged patients and their family members to report ticket scalpers who disguise themselves as patients.

However, experts say the problem will not be resolved unless demand is quenched. As long as China suffers from a lack of hospitals and doctors, a waiting system that fails to prioritize patients who face a time limit, and a middle class who’re willing to pay more for privileged access, the practice will continue. Currently, the high demand for medical services is in conflict with the low costs of a consultation with a physician (as low as RMB 10), allowing gangsters to pocket the difference that should go to hospitals and physicians (who aren’t earning enough as it is).

Photos: Flickr, Zou Hong / China Daily

Our August issue, focusing on food, health, and culture, will start making its appearance around town this week. We examine the myths and stories surrounding China’s fake food scandals, including advice from Dr. Gao Peng of Hong Kong International Medical Clinic about what to do in the case of food poisoning. Then we gathered tips and advice from Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners from around the city, including an independent practitioner, Dai Jie, Dr. Marry May of OASIS International Hospital, and Dr. Yun Song of Sanfine International Hospital.

Living
In this month’s Talking Shop and Birthday Bash, we spotlight Yeyo Yogurt and Latitude Trampoline Park respectively. London Loft gives Vilma Busquets fresh and popping color for Indulge.

Dining 
We know how hard it is for busy families to find good snacks for everyone in the family, so we included a shopping roundup of healthy snacks in this month’s Dining section. Annika Norberg showed us how to kick back with comfort food at Mrs. Shanen’s, a Shunyi dining favorite.

Playing 
Maker’s Corner includes a special quilting project that can be continued year long, and since some families need to get out of town after being in the city all summer long, we showed the way to Nangong Scenic Area for a full day or weekend trip.

Health 
Dr. Melissa Rodriguez teachers us the plate method, and Dr. Sackrison of Vista Medical Center helps us take a comparative look at China’s new diet regulations.

Learning
Who’s responsibility is it to instill healthy eating habits in children? Parents or schools? Although this is up for debate, the British School of Beijing Shunyi and the House of Knowledge show how they make sure they are doing all they can to provide a healthy diet for students. Dulwich College Beijing students debate over the media’s implication in the rise of eating disorders.

Students from the Canadian International School of Beijing proudly show their artwork and school pride in Blank Canvas. Librarians from the International Montessori School of Beijing and Beanstalk International Bilingual School share with us their recommended reading in Off the Shelf. McJoseph Besong of Beijing No. 55 High School, International School Students Section helps us look past typical ways to include eating and food in tech and games in the Tech Corner column. We meet both Mika Dronyk, Head of Primary School Athletics at Beijing World Youth Academy, and Ashleigh N., Year 12 student at Harrow International School Beijing.

Parenting
We introduce our newest column, West Meets East, where we ask parents of Beijing to share with us their tips and parenting wisdom on various topics. This month we cover healthy eating habits. Columnists Ember Swift share her own battles with picky eaters and organic shopping while Jennifer Ambrose tells us the truth behind their familial vegetarianism in China.

Can’t find the print edition? Send an email to distribution@beijing-kids.com or, check out the PDF version below or at Issuu.com.

With the investigation and removal of the allegedly toxic running tracks at Baiyunlu campus of Beijing No.2 Experimental Primary School, authorities had also investigated school classrooms in a follow-up air quality test.

However, the parents who reported the issue are dubious of the results. After all, despite the symptoms reported by the parents of over 40 students, the government had found the toxicity level of the running track to be normal. The school removed the track in spite of the negative result.

Beijing Municipal Education Commission announced on June 14^th that the air quality test conducted by China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC) showed that the school facilities did in fact meet quality standards for national environmental monitoring and synthetic playgrounds.

Parents are not convinced. They had hired a third-party laboratory, Shenzhen EMTEK Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Lab), to test 16 classrooms in the school, six of which were the same rooms that were tested by CNEMC.

The Shenzhen Lab results showed an excessive amount of formaldehyde in all sixteen classrooms, wherein the music classroom had 2.83 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter (of air)—11 times that of the CNEMC test results and 22 times above the recommended amount.

It turns out the two institutions use different testing methods and references, resulting in vastly different results.  CNEMC uses a technical method for determining formaldehyde in the air, which was established in 1995.  The Shenzhen Lab uses a more common testing method: the 2014-enacted Methods of Environmental Tests in Public Venues.

Both testing methods are allowed according to the National Standards of Indoor Air Quality, so a testing institution can determine which one to use. In this case, the question is why did CNEMC choose a testing method more commonly used for factory workshops than for public venues when a classroom is, by definition, a public venue?

The Beijing Education Commission has ordered all (school) synthetic sports fields inspected and has halted the construction of playgrounds until new guidelines are released.  Said guidelines will be created with the cooperation of quality-control and environmental protection departments as well as professional organizations. The new guidelines will be more stringent on the details of the manufacturing, construction, and assessment of playground safety.

Photo: Public Domain

Over the last few months, fake infant formula has been in the spotlight as rumors of fake infant formula surfaced.  The authorities have confirmed that thousands of infant formula products masking as Similac and Beingmate were sold in seven provinces.   While the gang and ringleader have been apprehended, some of their fake products are still unaccounted for.

The gang had been producing fake infant formula since 2014. When arrested, the Shanghai police seized:

• 1,000 cans of fake Similac
• 20,000 empty cans to be filled
• 65,000 fake Similac labels to be pasted

The police confirmed that at least 3,300 cans of Similac are unaccounted for, while a vendor has also admitted to selling at least 3,600 cans of fake Beingmate infant formula.

Unlike the 2008 milk scare, when the infant formula produced by Sanlu Group was found to contain melamine, these cans of fake infant formula are not deadly.  The ring mixed authentic Similac and Beingmate with a cheaper domestic brand.

However, China-based parents are still wary of locally manufactured infant formulas. Instead, families have resorted to purchasing imported formula brands from reliable vendors.

Many international families will bring cans of infant formula from their home visits and vacations. Some will have friends buy them from their trips abroad (daigou).  Others even have friends and relatives send in a shipment every few months.

Perhaps due to the recent arrests, China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has drafted its strictest infant formula regulations yet. CFDA published the new food and safety law on June 6^th, as a follow up to their 2015 edition. The new regulations will be effective as of October 1^st, 2016.

Highlights of the 2015 Registration Measures and new Food Safety Law regulated:

• Both domestic and foreign produced infant formula must be registered with CFDA.
• Domestically produced infant formula must be screened during registration.
  • Must provide a product sample
  • Indicate authentic origin:
    • Raw material
    • Food additive
    • Formula
  • Avoid ambiguous terminology:
    • “imported milk source”
    • “from foreign pastures”
    • “imported milk”
    • “ecologic pasture”
    • “imported raw materials”
  • No exaggeration, false advertising, or wrong labeling:
    • “no additives”
    • “good for brain”
    • “protect intestinal tracts”
    • “improves immunity”

Highlights of the 2016 Registration Measures:

• No distinction between regulations on import and domestic infant formula. Imported infant formula subjected to the same quality screening process upon registration as domestic products.
• Each company is limited to three formula brands and nine product formulas, which is important because…
  • China sells over 2,000 different infant formulas, but only has…
  • 103 infant formula powder manufacturing enterprises
  • The new regulation will reduce the formula market by two thirds
  • A quarter of milk powder companies are expected to go out of business
• Import formula brought in through cross-border e-commerce retailers will also require the new permit
• Dairy enterprises have one year to adjust. They must receive their permit by January 1^st, 2018.

The CFDA aims to control the quality of both domestically produced and foreign import infant formula.  In good time, too, as China now encourages more births with the second child policy.

Photo: Flickr

More bad news today as the Chinese vaccination scandal has deepened, with now 13 companies under investigation.

In the wake of it all, a lot of Beijing parents are asking themselves: What now? Should I proceed with my child’s vaccinations?

First of all, to frame the debate, we don’t intend to address the bigger issue of whether you should vaccinate at all. However you stand on that hot-button issue, we are presuming that those of you reading this support vaccinations as routine healthcare. Those that choose not to vaccinate as a practice we are assuming would not be interested in the details below of how to do so safely in Beijing.

What We Know So Far

First of all, news reports indicate that the scandal is limited to the improper handling of legitimate vaccines, and not a case of counterfeit or fake vaccines.

The issue at hand is that unlicensed middle men have become involved in the vaccine supply chain, acquiring vaccines from legitimate state-sanctioned medical supply companies and then selling them on to hospitals in China.

The crux of the issue is how these middle men have been handling the storage of vaccines during the logistics process.

Most vaccines require proper refrigeration "from the time they are manufactured until they are administered," according to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

I’ve Already Gotten a Vaccine, is My Child at Risk?

Poorly kept vaccines are unlikely to have turned virulent, "spoil" or otherwise cause disease in your child, according to both the World Health Organization and the CDC. However, the CDC states, improper handling of vaccines can decrease the potency and reduce the effectiveness of a vaccine.

That means that your child could then be susceptible to the very disease they were vaccinated against, should he or she be exposed to that disease into the future.

Those concerned about the effectiveness of specific vaccines received in the past can arrange to have their child tested for antibodies to the disease vaccinated against. If the vaccine was indeed effective, your child should have antibodies to that particular disease present in their system.

How Vaccines are Regulated in China

All vaccines in China must be ordered from vendors which are approved by the China Center for Disease Control. Any hospital that wishes to offer vaccination services must purchase from an approved vendor. However, each hospital is free to choose a supplier from within the spectrum of approved vendors.

That means every hospital could potentially be getting their vaccines from a different vendor; however if the regulatory system works the way it should, all will have come from government-approved and regulated channels.

Should I Go Ahead Then With Vaccines in Beijing?

The question then becomes: what is your next step as a parent if your child is due for a vaccination?

First of all, anything that we can offer here as a media outlet is only a suggestion, and we strongly suggest you consult directly with a trusted medical doctor or hospital and don’t take your advice solely from this blog.

Having stated that, we believe the wisest course of action is to take responsibility for informing yourself of the risks associated with getting vaccinations in China, and only work with trusted hospitals and doctors.

Here are some common-sense measures, which we would hope all parents would follow anyhow:

Ask your hospital about their vaccine sourcing. What we recommend is that you talk to your doctor or hospital and asked them specifically about the source of their vaccinations. Many hospitals manage their supply chain carefully and are very detailed about sourcing and on-site management of their vaccine supply. If they are unable to provide you with details of their supply chain, reconsider your choice.

Don’t accept a vaccine that comes from a source you can’t verify. Most international-standard hospitals in Beijing will offer the patient the opportunity to examine the packaging of the vaccination itself before it is opened in the examination room. Do not accept a vaccine that comes pre-drawn in a needle with the packaging discarded.

Consider a delay in your child’s immunization schedule if practical. Many vaccines can be postponed to a later time in a child’s life; a common-sense approach may be to wait to see how this news story develops.

At the very least a delay of a few months may make little difference to your child’s health and give regulators time to dig deeper and clear the system of likely ineffective vaccines.

Ultimately this scandal raises quite a few unanswered questions. First and foremost, anyone who has lived in Beijing through the 2008 Melamine scandal or SARS in 2004 can attest there’s plenty of examples of health crises that have ballooned despite regulations designed to prevent such occurrences.

And given that many industries are rife with counterfeit products in China, a parent would not be out of order to second-guess something like this.

It comes back down to a question of how much you trust government agencies such as the Chinese Center for Disease Control to truly prevent things like this from happening.

While well-managed hospitals can guarantee that they work only with trusted suppliers and that vaccines in their hands are handled according to strict protocols, there remains the possibility that even approved suppliers may not be giving the vaccines the proper handling they need to preserve their effectiveness.

Few hospitals we contacted for this story were willing to talk on the record regarding vaccines; however some have posted official statements on their websites. United Family Hospital has this statement on their website detailing how they source and handle vaccines and reassuring the community that there has "never been an untoward adverse clinical event associated with the administration of any vaccine at any UFH facility" throughout China.

 Image: gercekgundem.com

Vast quantities of illegal and possibly dangerous vaccines have been distributed to medical facilities across China, it has emerged.

The vaccines were manufactured by licensed producers, but were stored and transported without being properly refrigerated. A former doctor and her daughter from Shandong have been arrested for selling illegal supplies worth RMB 570 million across 18 provinces over a five year period. Now drug regulators are working with police and the health ministry to follow the trail of the spoiled vaccines. They have published a list of people suspected of buying and selling the supplies, and asked them to come forward with information.

RELATED: In the Wake of Scandal, Should You Get Your Child Vaccinated in Beijing?

Initial reports suggested that spoiled vaccines can cause serious side effects, including paralysis and even death. However the World Health Organization (WHO) hurried to calm fears. "It is important to note that improperly stored or expired vaccines seldom, if ever, cause a toxic reaction. Therefore, there is likely to be minimal safety risk in this particular situation," they said in a statement issued yesterday. However the vaccines may be ineffective, leaving children vulnerable to a range of diseases such as polio, mumps, rabies, hepatitis B, encephalitis, and meningococcal diseases.

The news comes as a blow to China’s developing pharmaceutical industry, which hoped to enter the global market after its first vaccine was prequalified by the WHO as suitable for export in 2013. There was anger when it was revealed that the two women were detained last April, but that the information has only been made public now. It has also been alleged that the mother, named only as Pang, had been arrested for the same offense in 2009 and was given a suspended sentence.

We have no information to suggest that the vaccines concerned have been distributed in Beijing. International health organizations use a combination of imported and locally sourced products, since there are strict controls on the importation of medicines, but they operate to stringent safety standards. One local provider, Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics, has issued a statement reassuring families that they have "a strict, rigorously professional program to protect the integrity of [their]vaccinations and maximize safety."

Nonetheless parents from the international community have reacted with alarm and anger to this latest medical scandal. We spoke to Jerry, a father who cited worries about clinical standards as one of his reasons for leaving China and returning to the USA.

"Our son has been immunized locally here," he told us. "We got most of our immunizations done at the local community clinic. As a parent it’s definitely very concerning. I doubt that we have been affected, but it’s very distressing to see how unscrupulous, unethical, and just downright evil some people here are for the sake of money."

Other parents shared their worries via social media.

Zach, an American expatriate and father, said, "I’m very concerned, my son is scheduled to get his hepatitis B vaccine in April. I’m doing more research on it now, as I don’t really have all the information but at this point, like most parents, it’s very scary to even think about getting it done and putting a child at risk, and if we don’t do it the child is still at risk."

Some parents are losing faith in the whole immunization program. Shane, another American dad, told us: "I simply don’t believe in pumping a young body full of these vaccines before the child can even walk. There is a minimal amount of vaccine that can be given over time but until the child’s body reaches about seven or eight years old they still have not fully developed. Eight years of age is the age of reason and when the brain and emotions and central nervous system start all working together at a higher level. Prior to that their bodies are quite sensitive and underdeveloped internally. I believe you should wait till many of these biological and psychological milestones are formed before any kind of aggressive vaccine schedule."

The WHO though emphasizes the importance of immunization for protecting both children and communities. In a 2008 bulletin they stated: "Without doubt, vaccines are among the most efficient tools for promoting individual and public health and deserve better press."

Anybody who is concerned is advised to speak to their family doctor.

Photo: Grook Da Oger