~Commuting to school: A Tale of Two Cities<\/p>\n
An interesting phenomenon is emerging at the Shenzhen\/Hong
\nKong border. Thousands of children from Shenzhen are flocking
\nacross to school, to be educated in a city they do not live in.<\/p>\n
The youngsters are going to Hong Kong for what their parents
\nsay a better education.<\/p>\n
Other children are being sent to private schools in Shenzhen
\nwhich are similar to Hong Kong schools.<\/p>\n
Each morning at 6 am, 11-year-old Fan Weimin gets up from his
\nbed in Shenzhen. After getting ready and eating breakfast, he
\nwaves goodbye to his mother at 7 am at the Luohu Checkpoint.<\/p>\n
After passing a series of exit procedures at the Passport-
\ncheck Office, Fan gets on a school bus on the other side of the
\nLuohu bridge and sets off to school in Hong Kong as usual.
\nAround 4 pm, Fan's mother returns to the Luohu Bridge to collect
\nhim and take him home.<\/p>\n
This has been the routine for Fan, the son of a Hong Kong
\nbusinessman, for two years. Fan, who has a Hong Kong residency
\npermit, is one of nearly 3,000 children who live in Shenzhen and
\ncommute to Hong Kong for their education via the Luohu bridge,
\naccording to a local government survey. The morning scene is
\nquite unique.<\/p>\n
Most of the children are from families consisting of a Hong
\nKong father and a mainland mother. The latter does not usually
\nhave the legal right to live in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Some of the parents are Hong Kong people who have businesses
\nand houses in Shenzhen where everyday prices and house prices are
\nfar cheaper than in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
But they still send their children away to school in Hong Kong
\neach day, as they think the quality of education there is better
\nthan in Shenzhen.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong's advanced education system has better English
\nresults and many courses recognized internationally. A former
\nprimary school student in Shenzhen, Fan said he prefers his
\nschool in Hong Kong where he receives less homework and the
\nteachers are nicer to him.<\/p>\n
It is more expensive to go to school in Shenzhen than in Hong
\nKong. Hong Kong offers nine years of free education, including
\nsome expenses like books and travel.<\/p>\n
The quality of the State education in Shenzhen means some
\nparents are willing to pay for private schools in the city to
\nensure a decent education instead of sending their children to
\nHong Kong.<\/p>\n
According to a survey by the Shenzhen Education Studies
\nInstitution published in the Southern Metropolis News, of 2,339
\npupils with Hong Kong residency permits who actually reside in
\nShenzhen and also go to school there, 41 percent of parents are
\nwilling to send the child to a private Shenzhen school which has
\nthe same education system as in Hong Kong and provides Hong Kong
\napproved certificates. China Daily\/Asia News Network<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/commuting-to-school-a-tale-of-two-cities-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}