AFTER-SCHOOL FREEDOM

5 Big Changes to Beijing’s Training Centers

By Alistair Baker-Brian

Beijing will formally implement new regulations on after-school training centers for kindergarten, primary and middle school students.

The announcement was made at a press conference on August 17 by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality.

The measures are part of a new national education policy, which aims to tighten regulation of outof-school-hours classes for core subjects, such as math, literature, English and others.

Five key measures regarding training centers in Beijing are listed below.

New training centers will not be approved

You read that right! New for-profit training centers offering classes related to core subjects will not be approved in Beijing.

Existing training centers offering core subject classes will have to re-apply for approval and meet new requirements, throwing into doubt the future of the many training centers in the city.

Restricted operating hours

According to the new regulations, training centers cannot offer classes for core subjects during public holidays, weekends or school summer and winter vacation time. Weekend classes and classes arranged during school

After-School Freedom

holidays have long been a large source of income for training centers targeted towards younger students.

Tighter control of materials and teachers

The announcement specifically refers to teachers’ qualifications, a crackdown on unauthorized schools offering core subject classes and a ban on the use of ‘foreign’ materials.

The latter is in line with another recent announcement in which Beijing authorities said they would ban all foreign textbooks from primary and junior high schools.

Standardized pricing

Prices of classes must follow standards set by the government to help curb excessive fees.

No longer controlled by capital

According to the new regulations, training centers cannot be listed on financial markets. With this in mind, it is perhaps no wonder that stocks of overseas-listed

Chinese education companies plummeted after news of the new regulations first emerged. The reasons why the aforementioned regulations are coming into force are complicated.

In part, the new policy aims to reduce the academic burden on families. The press conference in Beijing also discussed new measures to help students during regular school hours. This included limiting the amount of homework, improving student services, making changes to exams and more.

Moreover, the new measures aim to alleviate the financial burden on parents who spend a large portion of their income on extra classes for core subjects. Given that China recently announced the three-child policy to help deal with an increasingly aging population, many families may feel encouraged to have more children now that paying for extra tuition for core subjects may be out of the question.

Many questions remain for China’s training school industry. It’s unclear whether current training centers will be able to adapt and retain approval, or if regulations will be their death knell. One thing is for sure – the industry is going through some fundamental changes.

LISTINGS

BEIJING

Middle 8 Restaurant 中8楼 An oasis at the top of Taikoo Li, Middle 8 is the go-to destination for fresh authentic Yunnan cuisine. The restaurant, stylish yet understated, has plenty of flavorsome well- priced dishes and a killer view to boot. > Raffles: Daily 11:00am-10:00pm, 5 Floor Of Raffles shopping center Dongzhimen Dongcheng District. 来福士店: 东城区东直门来福士购物中心5 层8409 8199/8409 8234 > Indigo: Daily 11:00am-10:00pm, Jiuxianqiao Road No.20 Indigo F2 , Chaoyang 朝阳区酒仙桥路 20号颐堤港2层8420 0883 Beijing Lianbao > Unite 1C, Building 7, Xingfu Yicun Xili, Chaoyang District 朝阳区幸福一村西里7号楼1C (6415 8001, 138 1093 6118, hanxingyue1127@126. com) Beijing Kerry Residence Whether you’re a single business executive or a busy family, Beijing Kerry’s fully- furnished 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments will feel just like home. As well as enjoying all the comforts of modern living – including a well-equipped kitchen, entertainment systems, high-speed broadband and much more – residents are just moments away from the Kerry Centre’s shopping mall and sports facilities. The rest of the CBD is on your doorstep too. >1 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区光华路1号 (8535 6888, www.beijingkerryresidence. com)

GTC RESIDENCE BEIJING One of the top residences in Beijing, GTC Residence is located beside the third ring road with 5 minutes’ walk to subway line 5 , 10 minutes’ drive to Hou Hai . It is also within easily reach of CBD, embassy area, Financial Street and other urban commercial,shopping and recreation areas. Fully equipped apartments with impeccable quality offer you a cozy living system and will meet all of your requirements for room decoration, furniture, electric appliances etc.. Unique sky garden with golf practice field and barbecue area is another symbol of GTC Residence. > sales@gtcresidence.com, website: www. gtcresidence.com Tel:56756666

Oak Chateau Beijing Oak Chateau Beijing has 236 stylish and contemporary fully serviced apartments from studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four bedroom suites available, measuring 64 to 260 square meters. There is a 24-hours guest reception, and housekeeping is offered twice a week. Nestled within the landscaped gardens of the Ocean Express commercial and residential complex, Oak Chateau Beijing is very close to the third Embassy Area and shopping and dinning services at the Beijing Lufthansa Center. There are only 19 kilometers to the Beijing Capital Airport. >北京市朝阳区东三环霞光里66号远洋新干线 D座 邮编 100027 Block D, Ocean Express, 66 Xiaguang Li, Third East Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100027, P.R.C Tel: (86-10) 84465888 Fax: (86-10) 84465999 Email oak.chateau@oakchateau.com Website: www. oakchateau.com

Oakwood Residence Damei Beijing The only serviced apartment in the city that has its own in-house supply of natural hot spring water supply. Expansive city views are available from floor to ceiling windows with the apartments situated from level 23 to 35 in the building complex. The 171 stylish contemporary serviced residences range from studios to three- bedroom apartments and offer an elegant range of amenities and facilities to ensure each resident’s stay is comfortable and well taken care of. > Building No.1 Damei Center, 7 Qingnian Road, Chaoyang District Beijing北京市朝阳 区青年路7 号达美中心1号楼 Tel: 86-10 8585 2211 (8:30am-5:30pm) 86-10 8585 2888 (5:30pm-8:30am) Fax: (86-10) 8585 2666 website OakwoodAsia.com

HOTEL NEWS

CHANGSHA JINJIANG

Hilton Changsha Riverside Officially Opens

Hilton Changsha, the first full-service hotel in Changsha, is located in the heart of Hunan’s financial center in Binjiang New City, Changsha. The hotel rises 241 meters high in the Hexi skyline, surrounded by the Xiangjiang River and is one of the new landmarks of Changsha. With large areas of modern orange and blue, combined with art deco, the history of the ancient Changsha pavilion Xiaoxiang is blended in among them. Guests can appreciate the beauty of architecture here at Hilton Changsha.

Marco Polo Jinjiang Unveils New Lobby Lounge

Marco Polo Jinjiang recently unveiled its new-look Lobby Lounge on the ground level of the hotel. The refurbishment is part of the hotel’s phased transformation encompassing its Continental Club Lounge and guestrooms that were introduced in March of this year.

At the heart of the Lobby Lounge is its 18-meter pillar-less vaulted atrium, which complements a gold-colored wood frame that resembles a honeycomb-like structure measuring 20 feet high and 88 feet wide. The lofty ambiance is further heightened by an imposing Chinese oil painting depicting clouds and mountains in warm hues.

GBA

Glam at the Top of the Penthouse of the Grand Hyatt Shenzhen

Dress up and party into the night to celebrate as Grand Hyatt Shenzhen strives to bring more enjoyment to #LivingGrand. You can now enjoy a 360-degree view of Shenzhen and Hong Kong’s green mountains from the 38th floor, which is a sophisticated venue comprised of multiple residence-inspired areas. The band High5 is a new five-piece group composed of two female singers and three professional musicians. From rhythm and blues to contemporary pop songs and classic hits, the band’s style is full of passion and variety, and it vividly embodies the atmosphere of a high-altitude bar. In addition, there will be a live DJ performance every day to add to the excitement.

Jewelry Box Afternoon Tea at Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan

From now on until the end of December, Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan Pastry Chef Tony Zhao has skillfully crafted a jewelry box-inspired afternoon tea at the stylish The Lounge of Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan. There are a variety of handcrafted delicate desserts, sweet and savory. There’s also a cute teddy bear mango sago dessert in a bathtub! An exquisite journey starts from here.

Transformers-themed Buffet Lunch at Hilton Guangzhou Baiyun

Take your kids out for a fun Transformers-themed buffet on the ground floor of the hotel on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from noon to 2.30pm. It might just be the coolest thing you do all summer!

BEIJING

The Peninsula Beijing Reimagines Traditional Moon Cakes with New Fruity Flavors

Mid-Autumn Festival becomes a triple-sweet celebration at The Peninsula Beijing. Huang Ting’s Executive Chinese Chef Fred Shi and head of Dim Sum Chef Deng Jianbiao have reimagined the classic Mid-Autumn Festival delights with three exclusive editions. Guests can create special moments with loved ones by sharing heart-shaped egg custard mooncakes, or fruity pineapple and durian flavors. For this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Chef Fred and Chef Deng have hand-crafted the cherished egg custard mooncakes and added a tropical twist with sensational pineapple and durian flavors. The delightful durian and pineapple moon cakes are made with fresh, soft fruit pulp. The delicate fruit filling and rich custard egg blend perfectly to produce a tantalizing festive combination.

Yunnan Delicacies @ Waldorf Astoria Beijing

Zijin Mansion of Waldorf Astoria Beijing crafts a selection of delicacies using seasonal fungi freshly sourced from Yunnan and various quality ingredients, thus retaining the fresh taste of nature in every delectable bite. The autumn fungus menu features 10 delicacies meticulously crafted by Head Chef James Wang using a selection of rich umami fungi, including matsutakes, termite mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, etc. Prepared with traditional Cantonese cooking techniques, all the ingredients retain their nutrients to the fullest extent and turn into an ultimate indulgence, featuring an extremely tender and juicy flavor.

From now until September 20, 2021, at Waldorf Astoria Beijing 3 floor, Zijin Mansion. Call +86 10 8520 8989 to learn more.

Dream Pink Afternoon Tea at Lobby Lounge

NUO Hotel Beijing is collaborating with I Do, one of the most popular jewelry brands among consumers in China, to launch a themed afternoon tea with an impressive array of delicacies in dreamy shades of pink. Created by Director of Culinary Nikolaos Lekkas, the afternoon tea will last until September 30.

Feast on exquisitely crafted, picture-perfect teatime sweet treats, including champagne gift box-shaped mousse, rose cake, double kiss lemon cookies, red velvet macaroons, peach mousse cake, lychee raspberry cake as well as plain and rose hearty scones served with Rodda’s clotted cream, passion fruit curd, and strawberry jam.

SCHOOL NEWS

SHANGHAI

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi Announce Outstanding IGCSE Results

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi was immensely proud to announce the outstanding IGCSE results of its 2020-2021 Year 11 cohort. Of the results, 78% of grades achieved were A* or A; 95% of grades achieved were A* to B; 100% of grades achieved were A* to C. The student’s achievements are a clear testimony of their hard work, maturity and resilience, and the entire community is proud of their much-deserved success.

Upper Sixth Leaver’s Dinner

Harrow Shanghai recently celebrated the wonderful achievements of departing Upper Sixth (Year 13) students at the atmospheric Fairmont Peace Hotel. All of them have received top university offers from some of the best institutions in the world, including University College London, Imperial College, King’s College London, Sydney University and the University of British Columbia, to name but a few.

Wellington College’s Class of 2021 Achieves Outstanding IB Scores

Wellington College International Shanghai was thrilled to report that its Class of 2021 achieved an average score of 38.1 points on this year’s IB exams. This far exceeds the global average of 33.02. Special congratulations to pupil Amelia Hoogewerf, who achieved a perfect score of 45!

NAIS Pudong Tokyo 2020 Olympics-Themed Summer School

Through arts and crafts, English, Maths and STEAM, children at the NAIS Pudong Summer School had the chance to learn about the Olympics, the sports undertaken, and what it means to have an Olympic spirit. The four weeks culminated in a closing ceremony in true Olympic style. The children received awards and certificates based on their dedication and hard work, and even created the pictograms shown during the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony!

GUANGZHOU

AISG Class of 2021 IBDP Results

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 on their exceptional International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) results! The average score was 37 out of 45, outpacing the world average of 33. In addition, 33% of diploma candidates earned a score of over 40 with the highest score being a 44. AISG is proud to have a strong IBDP program, a rigorous program that is the world’s gold standard academic preparation program for universities. This, along with their expansive roster of community service, athletics, and activities, provides students with the tools they need to enter top universities all around the world.

SHENZHEN

Quality School of International of Shenzhen Successful Summer

It’s been exciting to see all the students back on campus and look forward to partner with parents for a great school year. QSI had many summer projects coming to completion, teachers, parents and support staff working together for various professional development sessions to continue their learning about teaching strategies to ensure the success for every student. These workshops included educational technology, literacy as well as work collaboration. Success Orientations, Mastery Learning and Project-Based Education are all core values of QSI, and they will be a focus for this school year.

BEIJING

House of Knowledge: Meet our Founders

The new semester began at House of Knowledge International Kindergarten on August 23rd! Take a campus tour to get to know more about their project-based Reggio Emilia education approach, multi-language learning environment and child-centered curriculum, explained by one of the founders, Mrs. Xia Qing. Visit also www.hokschools.com to learn more about the Founder’s messages, which showcase daily kindergarten life on campus!

AISB-Hope International Family Fun Evenings

In July, AISB opened its doors every Thursday to welcome pre-approved special guests for evenings of sports, games and friendship. As many families chose to stay in Beijing during the summer holidays, it was a great opportunity for the community to stay connected.

That’s Horoscopes

Finally, a horoscope that understands your life in China.

By Joshua Cawthorpe

Virgo

8.24~9.23

Take a holiday from your perfectionism. Interprovincial travel is ill-advised right now but throw on the fire log channel and wear mismatching socks.

Libra

9.24~10.23

Liberate your Libra and liven’ your love life. September is the time to find a warm body to snuggle through the winter.

Scorpio

10.24~11.22

Bill Gates is a Scorpio, but so was Charles Manson. Be careful what you wish for.

Sagittarius

11.23~12.21

Capricorn

12.22~1.20

Capricorns need structure in their lives. Abstract ideas are often unattainable to the rigid mind. Sagittarians make the best circus clowns, so wherever you are, don’t expect to be taken too seriously.

Aquarius

1.21~2.19

Aquarius is the party animal. It’s okay to dance on the table, but public nudity is frowned upon in the Middle Kingdom – and elsewhere.

Pisces

2.20~3.20

You’re a fish out of water. When booking a hotel, spring for the suite with the bathtub and pamper yourself, or else you might find your opportunities drying up.

Aries

3.21~4.20

The Ram is known for being somewhat abrasive. Expect a rekindled relationship in the near future, but with someone you crossed horns with.

Taurus

4.21~5.21

It’s time to quicken your pace in life. It’s not laziness, just complacency. Remember, Red Bull doth giveth you wings. Be mindful of the microorganisms that live between your toes. It’s easy for the lion to forget about the little symbioses that keep it at the top of the food chain.

Gemini

5.22~6.21

When you’re talking to yourself on the subway, try wrapping your headphone cord around your face so that it looks like you’re on an important call.

Cancer

6.22~7.22

Cancers are naturally in tune with other people’s feelings. Even if you can’t truly help anyone by playing pseudopsychiatrist, at least it will make you feel better about yourself.

Leo

7.23~8.23