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Posts: 3269

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Q: What to expect when my kids are school age?

My wife recently discovered she's pregnant again, just 8 months after a C-section for our boy Owen. This time we went to a bigger hospital in Chengdu, in the hopes medicine is practiced more professionally there. We visited the place twice, with plans to have an abortion, but in the end we both decided it's so cruel. It's a risk for my wife's health so soon after a C-section, but we'll keep an eye on the baby's growth. Owen is drinking milk, to, so hopefully the baby won't grow so big this time (Owen weighed 4.5kg).

Anyway, it should be nice if our 2 kids are of similar age, but I read people warning about school expenses and other pricy things that will hit us double-hard at about the same time. Owen and the new kid will be British/Dutch citizens, and I plan to use my rights as non-national to keep them out of learn-by-rote "education" if I can. Does China allow homeschooling of non-national children, or will the authorities be banging on our door forcing us to pay and making our kids attend class?

Although I plan to emigrate with my family to UK or Australia before the Chinese education system comes into play, I should also consider the possibilities in case that doesn't work out, or that it takes longer than anticipated. What are my rights and legal recourses if I end up butting heads with the local education authorities?

We didn't take any of the steps involved in registering Chinese kids for school; especially the myriad of weird vaccinations seems like a real danger that should be avoided as much as possible.

10 years 10 weeks ago in  Family & Kids - China

 
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I think if your children don't have a hukou registration in China, which they will not have, you can do what you want. But you should rather look at how the kids would be funneled into the school system in your likely destination countries. 

Also. Consider an international kindergarten. Some of them are run on western principles, and the value of the kids spending time with like minded is not to be neglected. 

 

Oh. Regarding your wife becoming pregnant so shortly after. There is no risk that she will tear where the cut was made. If the c-section was done properly, the closing part that is, then there is no risk no matter the growth of the second child. There is a slim chance the placenta can have grown to the uterus walls in an unfortunate place, but your would know if that is the case if you had a sonogram done. 

 

If you love your kids you have them vaccinated. 

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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
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Congratulations, I think having two kids around the same age is better. If you register them as nationals of other countries, then I believe they can not be Chinese national and therefore can not be part of the hukou system... 

 

So I don't believe they will be monitored in the same way (if monitored at all). That being said, I agree with Scandinavian that there are some pretty good kindergartens for children up to about the age of 3-5 years old.

 

After that, the brain washing really gets turned on and you wouldn't want your kids to be part of that (plus if they appear more Caucasian than Chinese, they will stand out possibly positively or negatively).

 

There are international schools that are pretty good but equal to a NORMAL education in UK, Canada, US and Australia and cost a TON more (depends on the school), unless you teach at one of them... then they allow your children to study there for free or at a reduced cost. 

 

In which case, I think that can take them to high school with a pretty good education. Once they hit high school, I would 100% send them abroad and of course for post-secondary. 

 

I have looked into all of this because I am planning on having a few kids myself and I want to be certain. Yes, I believe you can home school them and then they can take certain tests to confirm their knowledge. Not too sure about China, but I know in Canada you can for sure and I would expect the same in other developed countries. 

 

Good luck and hopefully no complications arise. 

 

 

 

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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
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No abortion...good job.  A loving family can cope with two children, or more.  I have four children, all born within six years.  And now, 23 yrs after the last, I can report it was a good move by my wife and I, divorced as we are however.....

The cost of having children can be weighed up against how much they are loved and  I don't remember our children costing us anything! (Despite mortgage interest rates being 16 or 17% in the late 80's...)

My previous neighbours here in Xinjiang home schooled their two boys after giving the local primary school a 12 month run.  They used an American programme available to them online.

And my neighbours in Qingdao a couple of years ago had their kids attend the international school at which the mum taught for something like 25% of the nominal rate.

Finally, as Scando has told you, if you love them, you'll immunize them.

Peace Man.

 

 

 

 

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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
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Thanks for the input, guys. International schools aren't an option, unless I go work for one to get free/discount education. Some of the nominal prices are like 110% of my salary, and anyway, I don't feel much for exposing my kids to a classroom full of spoiled little emperors showing off their expensive toys. Owen would just be singled out by arrogant classists instead of thoughtless racists, and i'd rather that his problems are caused by clear injustice rather than my economic weakness. I can teach him rationality myself if need be.

Of course vaccinations should be taken seriously, but there's a ridiculous list of 15+ vaccinations that need to be performed before kids can even enter nursery school. Owen has had a few already. In Europe, it's at most 5 combo injections; here it's been made extra bureaucratic to give people more jobs - i won't let my babies suffer for their incompetence. 10 or so babies died last month from botched vaccinations, one was here in Sichuan.

Scandinavian:

I can understand your concern about botched vaccinations. I would also opt for having it done in Europe, I wasn't actually aware that vaccinations is an entry requirement for schools. I am used to people back home posting on facebook if they have one of the common children disease, so others can come and share. Better for the body to handle it the natural way. 

Note. Our vet is the same. We chose the expensive imported shots for our dog. It needs 2 per year, this could be done in one shot, the manufacturer of the vaccine they import does have a combo product, we used that back home and it is a poster at the vet, but here they say it is not good for the dog, but it is probably mainly their income it is not good for. The same applies to Chinese healthcare. They do way way WAY too many things, to make money and because people are suckers for trying to be healthy.

10 years 10 weeks ago
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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
Posts: 21

Governor

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I would go for the home schooling to avoid the brainwashing.

As for the immunizations, there are some international hospitals which import vaccines for foreign parents (They cost more of course). I don't know if they have any in Chengdu, but you can always search around if you are worried about the Chinese vaccinations.

ambivalentmace:

yes, you can vaccinate with imported vaccines, i have a problem with knowing if its local and they charge for imported, probably would do the vaccines in south korea or hong kong, or india depends on your budget.

10 years 10 weeks ago
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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
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My daughter will go to a Chinese School. She is Chinese so why not?

 

If the Chinese education system has gaps, thens it's me and my wife's job to fill them.

 

It's your job to bring up your kids, no matter what country you live in.

coineineagh:

It's our jobs as parents to bring up our kids, but they will learn behaviour when interacting with their peers, not their guardians. Here's why Chinese education is bad: In primary and middle school she will be in school HALF of the day, where they waste her time hammering conformity into her. She won't be encouraged to be creative, confident or independent. When she's home, she'll be swamped with homework until bedtime. Her desire to be a child and play will be so severely repressed, that any intellectual curiosity will be absent by the time she enters university, and she will only care about making people happy and purchasing luxuries to catch up with her lost childhood. And since there are no parents to oversee them in dormitories, they soon find out that the professors won't report them if they don't come to class. You'd be *lucky* if your daughter simply chooses to waste her time watching TV: Older businessmen have lots of fun with the greedy young things they pick up at universities in this country. Your daughter will become just another useless drone; perhaps she might win a university beauty pageant (you heard me right). But that's exactly what the men in this country are looking for in a woman: a bit of child-like naivete goes well with her selfishness. Sa Jiao!

10 years 10 weeks ago
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ScotsAlan:

She wont be a useless drone. She is already an individual.

10 years 10 weeks ago
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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2310

Shifu

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Bro,

we have give to our now almost 4 years old King of the house all the vaccination from the govt and plus some optional ones with additional fee. The list is amost same as in ,my country, once we come back home to Czech, we have to translate and show this vaccination book to loal doctor, in order to get permission go to school, same goes in china. be aware of this.

 

Yes, he is Czech citizen. We was lucky to find good enough kindergarden which is running by the goverment. no private or international. simply, we do not have those money too. Still it sucks, that all the places stop work at 4pm and you have to pick up your kids, while usually you work till 5 or 6pm. So my wife is at home and I bring the bread.

 

 For Primary school, I insist we are back to Europe, so I have agreed to stay here another year or max. two, save some money and than fly. will be just time to go.

 

 Do some hard research for kindergarden, when the time come, be patient enough, is not easy, but you may find okay place for your small King.

 

 Wish you good luck with your extended family, have a lot of joy and peace Smile

 

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10 years 10 weeks ago
 
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