Children of expats living in Shanghai can access high-quality basic education as locals.

All in all, there are three options for expat children to receive schooling in Shanghai — international schools for expat kids, the international divisions of local schools, and local public or private schools.

First, international schools. These schools provide education from pre-school to senior high school. Expats can apply directly to these schools to enroll their children. For overseas talents who hold Chinese passports, if your whole family has obtained a permanent residence permit in a foreign country and your children have studied in that foreign country in the last two years, you can also apply to these international schools to enroll your children.

Second, the international divisions of local schools. For these schools, the enrollment criteria are the same as for those applying for international schools.

Third, local schools. If you want to enroll your kids in local public and private kindergartens, you can apply to the education bureau of the district where you live in order to enroll your kids in the nearby kindergartens.

As for primary schools and junior high schools, you can apply to public schools in the district you live in based on the "proximity admission" principle or to private schools based on the "randomized admission" policy.

And as for senior high schools, you can apply directly to the district education bureau where you live. If your children are studying at a junior high school in Shanghai, they can take part in the zhongkao (senior high schools entrance exam) in the city, with specific admissions requirements subject to the annual policies published by the city and the district.

In addition to applying to study at local public and private schools which organize local children and expat children altogether in regular classes, the children of expats can also apply to study at local schools that have been approved to enroll foreign students in a relatively concentrated manner and with independently developed curricula.

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Education