There are currently well over a hundred Canadian international schools (k-12) in China. While some typically follow Canadian curriculum and are regularly inspected by a Canadian provincial Ministry of Education for status compliance, others have evolved in a wholistic western standards mainly from Britain and America. For Chinese students, choosing a Canadian international school is to avoid taking part in the torturous Gaokau (University Entrance Exams) and directly get accepted by universities around the globe with an internationally recognized grade 12 diploma. Maple Leaf Education System (MLES) is one of such choices for them. The MLES alone operates over one hundred schools in China and southeast Asia. This article first provides a brief description of current status and services of Canadian international schools in China, then followed by a presentation of the challenges today and, finally, the author takes a futuristic view of these schools in the coming years, largely based on his involvement in teaching a few graduate courses for teachers and administrators at the MLES as a Faculty Associate with Royal Roads University in Victoria.
Although the infrastructure of Canadian international schools in China is top-notch, certified Canadian teachers are often in short supply. In fact, all Canadian international schools remain in a constant demand for teachers who can teach both Canadian and international curricula. In high schools, teachers who can teach IB (International Baccalaureate) courses are often offered a better salary package. So, it is common to see many Canadian international schools having employed teachers from other English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., and even Singapore. The reason for teacher shortages has always been multifold, but mainly because of a shortterm commitment by teachers, comparatively low salary from school, as well as challenges living in a new cultural environment. With room and board on campus, students come from various sources, from children of expats and diplomats in China, to children of wellto- do families in the country. Despite ever higher standards and stricter rules required by the government, more Canadian international schools are still being built under the banner of Maple Leaf schools. This trend may continue in the years to come largely due to the popularity of Canadian icons.
China is a large country with millions of high school graduates every year. A great many have strong interest in Canadian higher education, and thousands of Chinese students are accepted by Canadian universities each year. Nevertheless, challenges faced by those international schools still exist in many ways. For example, the pursuit of academic excellence among students can go sideways, resulting in high anxiety and stress, even suicide. Although students do not worry about taking part in Gaukao, there are still plenty of things that worry them and, more often than not, cause psychological involution (Nèijuan, a Chinese phrase referring to internal conflicts and pressure without solutions), for example, getting accepted by an intended Canadian university. At school level, maintaining student enrollment and attracting honor roll students can be a daunting task for administrators simply because of the “need” for higher ranking through various competitions at provincial, national and even international levels. The latest data has shown the total number of international schools has surpassed the demand in some major cities. School administrators have to keep teacher’s motivation high for quality education and competition against other schools. However, this is not an easy task at all, because the demands from the parents can be different. For new teachers coming to a different environment, it takes time to settle in, get to know the students and curricula, as well as their colleagues. Besides, the amount of time to be devoted to meetings, tutoring, professional development, and after school activities is far more than what teachers usually do in Canada. Therefore, the pressure for academic excellence alone is not only felt by students, but also staff although this situation at any international school is still twice better when compared with a public school. Another challenge is the diverse students who come not only from China, but all over the world. Teachers have to take consideration of their culture and customs as they teach. Finally, the lack of state funding has hindered the assessment of students with special needs. For example, formal diagnosis of learning disability is completely non-existent in both international and public schools.
Despite all challenges and changes, Canadian international schools will continue growing and flourishing. China is a highly competitive country and its education is particularly so. One of the notable things many Canadian international schools have done is to broaden their capacity by offering curricular standards from both Britain and America. This is not only for the purpose of keeping a steady enrollment, but also providing more choices for students to attend universities in different countries. MLES is one example which has adapted to such changes. A set of new curricula has been fully designed and recently recognized by both Cognia and UK ENIC, two of the authoritative organizations in setting and evaluating k-12 education standards in the world. It is important to note that students at Canadian schools are hard-working and competitive, mainly due to clear goals for their future education. To overcome teacher shortages, online courses may be part of the solution in the future. Finally, their parents love Canada’s international image, and would prefer to send their children to Canadian universities. So, Canadian international schools are usually their first stepping stone. Without a doubt, the benefits, opportunities as well as challenges coexist now and will remain so in the future.
Canadian offshore schools will continue playing an important role in international education across the Pacific. With a collaborative approach from dedicated staff with a focus on student best interest, Canadian international schools in China will continue enjoying a bright future for the years and decades to come.
Dr. Nian Zhu, Continuing Teacher Education instructor at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Nian is proud of his first-hand experience working with some of the best teachers and school administrators in the Canadian international schools in China. He also taught and was a k-12 school administrator in Canada for nearly 30 years.