There are now 25 such schools in the city, with enrollment of about 5,000 students from 30 countries and regions in kindergarten through senior high school, according to the Shanghai Education Commission.

The number of students continues to rise sharply and is expected to increase by 300 to 500 each year, sources said.

Three types of these schools are in operation.

First, the schools that recruit students from the same country. They are run by international organizations, foreign agencies and corporations in China, such as Shanghai American School, Shanghai Japanese School, and Shanghai German School.

Second, the international departments of certain local schools. For instance, there is an international department in Shanghai Middle School which runs special courses for overseas students.

Third, the training centers organized by some foreign institutions and individuals.

“The international schools are just like a window through which the overseas students can learn more about China,” said Zhu Weixue, when listing the courses on Chinese history, geography and culture offered in the schools.

Zhu now teaches in a middle school attached to Shanghai International Studies University.

The schools are not only convenient for overseas people they also will give a boost to Chinese education and help China seize more opportunities in the international education market, sources said.

The total annual tuition collected by the international department of Shanghai Middle School reaches several million US dollars, said Tang Shengchang, principal of the school.

Moreover, the international schools have introduced quite a few advanced education methods and managerial expertise, which will be gradually adopted by local schools to help educate Chinese students, said Zhu Weixue.

So far, there are almost 100,000 overseas people working in Shanghai, statistics show.

(Xinhua 05/10/2001)