ELITE SCHOOLS

(guizu xuexiao)

Guizu xuexiao or elite schools are non-public elementary, middle and high schools that have appeared in China since the 1980s. They are called elite schools because only rich families can afford their high tuition and other fees. The rise of elite schools is one more indicator of the economic growth of China and the enlarging gap between the rich and poor in today’s China.

High expenses, however, are not the only difference between the elite schools and public schools. Many elite schools are boarding schools, whereas most public schools are not. High salaries ensure the quality of the teachers of the elite schools, whereas many public schools, particularly those in poor rural areas, often suffer from lack of qualified teachers.

Elite schools usually attach particular importance to foreign language teaching by hiring native speakers as language teachers, whereas few public schools can afford this. Connections with foreign schools are used to attract students, and some graduates of the elite schools enter foreign universities directly. In general, however, the curriculum of the elite schools is not very different from that of the public schools—the elite schools, like the public schools, have to use officially approved textbooks.

Financially elite schools rely mainly on tuition money and investments made by businessmen and the families of their students. Though many elite schools start as money-making businesses, quite a few have been shut down because of financial problems. Elite schools are usually located in suburbs of large cities or rich areas. They are particularly popular in the Pearl River Delta.