Commuting to school: A tale of two cities

Commuting to school: A tale of two cities

An interesting phenomenon is emerging at the Shenzhen/Hong
Kong border. Thousands of children from Shenzhen are flocking
across to school, to be educated in a city they do not live in.

The youngsters are going to Hong Kong for what their parents
say a better education.

Other children are being sent to private schools in Shenzhen
which are similar to Hong Kong schools.

Each morning at 6 am, 11-year-old Fan Weimin gets up from his
bed in Shenzhen. After getting ready and eating breakfast, he
waves goodbye to his mother at 7 am at the Luohu Checkpoint.

After passing a series of exit procedures at the Passport-
check Office, Fan gets on a school bus on the other side of the
Luohu bridge and sets off to school in Hong Kong as usual.
Around 4 pm, Fan's mother returns to the Luohu Bridge to collect
him and take him home.

This has been the routine for Fan, the son of a Hong Kong
businessman, for two years. Fan, who has a Hong Kong residency
permit, is one of nearly 3,000 children who live in Shenzhen and
commute to Hong Kong for their education via the Luohu bridge,
according to a local government survey. The morning scene is
quite unique.

Most of the children are from families consisting of a Hong
Kong father and a mainland mother. The latter does not usually
have the legal right to live in Hong Kong.

Some of the parents are Hong Kong people who have businesses
and houses in Shenzhen where everyday prices and house prices are
far cheaper than in Hong Kong.

But they still send their children away to school in Hong Kong
each day, as they think the quality of education there is better
than in Shenzhen.

Hong Kong's advanced education system has better English
results and many courses recognized internationally. A former
primary school student in Shenzhen, Fan said he prefers his
school in Hong Kong where he receives less homework and the
teachers are nicer to him.

It is more expensive to go to school in Shenzhen than in Hong
Kong. Hong Kong offers nine years of free education, including
some expenses like books and travel.

The quality of the State education in Shenzhen means some
parents are willing to pay for private schools in the city to
ensure a decent education instead of sending their children to
Hong Kong.

According to a survey by the Shenzhen Education Studies
Institution published in the Southern Metropolis News, of 2,339
pupils with Hong Kong residency permits who actually reside in
Shenzhen and also go to school there, 41 percent of parents are
willing to send the child to a private Shenzhen school which has
the same education system as in Hong Kong and provides Hong Kong
approved certificates. China Daily/Asia News Network