international schools have always been a popular choice for middle-class families in beijing, shanghai and guangzhou.

the annual tuition fee of two to three hundred thousand yuan not only provides the children with an elite education, but also a "golden ticket" to prestigious universities around the world.

but now, this craze is quietly fading, and more and more middle-class families are choosing to withdraw from international schools.

is it because the tuition is too high, or the quality of education does not meet expectations? or is it that parents’ educational philosophy has changed and become more pragmatic?

by the second half of 2024, the global economy will remain weak, the wallets of middle-class families will become thinner and thinner, and their lives will become increasingly tight.

consumption downgrade has become a "helpless choice" for many people.although education spending is the "last item that can be cut", it has to start being adjusted.

looking back on this summer, many parents would lament: "with a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan, we can barely afford a summer vacation!"

the originally arranged overseas study tours and various interest classes taught by famous teachers, with costs of tens of thousands of dollars, have long been a heavy burden for middle-class families.

in order to reduce the pressure, many families have begun to cancel expensive overseas trips, selectively reduce their children's interest classes, and change summer activities from "luxury packages" to "economic packages."

however, just after the summer vacation, on the first day of the international school, some parents discovered a more realistic problem.the number of students in the class has obviously decreased! in some classes, one-third of the students have even left.

liliana's family is a typical shanghai middle-class family. both husband and wife are highly educated. liliana works as a manager in a foreign-funded enterprise, while her husband works in an internet company.

because the family was well-off, liliana sent her children to an international school without hesitation. although none of the family had studied abroad, they had a clear plan for their children's education, which was to get them into prestigious schools in the uk and the us.

however, in the past two years, the business of foreign-funded enterprises has been affected by the international economic situation. liliana's company began to lay off employees, and bonuses and benefits were greatly reduced.

the internet industry where my husband works is also facing a cold winter, and a wave of layoffs may affect their family at any time.

the expenses of children's extracurricular classes, the annual tuition fees of international schools that easily reach hundreds of thousands of yuan, plus the high cost of studying abroad in the future, have suddenly become a heavy burden.

faced with pressure, liliana and her husband weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to transfer their children back to public school to ease the family's financial pressure.

however, children who grew up in the free learning atmosphere of an international school obviously feel uncomfortable when they suddenly enter a public school and face the strict learning pace and exam pressure.

as their grades dropped and the pressure of study increased sharply, children began to resist going to school.

although the financial pressure has eased, their children's learning adaptation problems have plunged them into new anxiety.liliana sighed and said that, in today's terms, her children were middle-class bad-end kids.

liliana's experience is a microcosm of the changes in educational choices of many middle-class families today.

under the dual pressure of economic pressure and educational competition, parents have to give up the fantasy of "elite education" and start planning a more cost-effective educational path for their children.

it is no longer news that tuition fees at international schools are high. international schools in beijing, shanghai and guangzhou can easily cost 200,000 to 300,000 yuan per year, or even more.

coupled with the "hidden costs" of school-organized activities, study tours, summer camps, etc., many families are gradually feeling "unable to afford it."

with the rising cost of living, the cost of education has become the last straw that breaks the camel's back for many families.

not only that, the "bankruptcy" incidents of some international schools in recent years have also made middle-class parents increasingly worried.

due to poor operational management or financial problems, some international schools suddenly closed or suspended classes, causing great trouble to parents and students.

there are also some international schools that once promised high-quality and stable educational services, but now frequently experience problems such as declining teaching quality, chaotic management, and the loss of foreign teachers.

related reading: as school starts, shenzhen’s no.1 private school collapses, leaving more than 800 middle-class families without schools to attend

international schools, once known as "elite education", are now facing many problems. a grain of sand in the sand of time may fall on every family at any time.

rather than continue to bear the heavy tuition fees, some parents are turning to the international departments of high-quality public schools in the country.

the international departments of public schools not only have excellent academic performance, but also have more complete teaching resources and management systems, while the fees are much lower than those of international schools.

in addition, choosing the international department of a public school has another advantage:

if there are uncertainties in the study abroad plan, students can return to the domestic education system at any time to avoid being caught in a dilemma, and have flexible options to "attack or defend".

meanwhile, other parents have chosen a more direct route, sending their children to private schools in britain and the united states.

compared with domestic international schools, these british and american private schools have a long history, excellent teaching quality, and higher admission rates.

it can also allow students to be exposed to overseas learning environments and cultures earlier, thus laying a more solid foundation for future university applications.

although this option still requires paying high tuition fees, compared with the various uncertainties of domestic and international schools, many middle-class families believe that this investment is more "worth the money."

some families have chosen another path: directly withdrawing from international schools and sending their children to full-time language training institutions to study international courses.

these families believe that in traditional international schools, due to limitations in teaching staff and teaching efficiency, it is difficult for children to focus on preparing for exams.

in institutions, more targeted course tutoring can help children avoid detours, study and prepare for exams efficiently, and apply directly to overseas universities.

in recent years, more and more families preparing for non-systemic education have dropped out of international schools and turned their attention to full-time language training institutions.

in the cram school, students can devote themselves to studying various international courses and language exams for studying abroad, and apply directly to overseas universities without going to school.

this behavior is also called "full-time study" by many families with overseas students.

in recent years, more and more language training institutions have emerged, providing comprehensive tutoring for international exams such as ielts, toefl, and a-level.

many of the institutions’ teachers graduated from world-renowned universities, and their teaching level is even not inferior to that of some top international schools.

in addition, the teaching pace of language training institutions is more flexible, and they can provide make-up lessons and adjustments based on students' actual needs, which is more efficient than following a fixed course schedule in school.

during the preparation process, students will inevitably encounter unsatisfactory test scores, and may need to retake the test multiple times to improve their scores.

international schools have a tight curriculum and it may be difficult to spare enough time for comprehensive exam preparation.

in training institutions, a student can complete four to five courses in one and a half years, and then leave another year to take make-up exams or strengthen weak points.such an arrangement is almost impossible to achieve in an international school.

although it means abandoning the traditional school education model, many middle-class families see this as a more pragmatic and efficient path.

through intensive training and self-management, children can improve their grades in a short period of time, reduce exam risks, and ultimately go straight to prestigious overseas schools.

this kind of "full-time study" can spend money wisely, not only saving time, but also paving a smoother road for children's future.

the "exit" of middle-class families is not only a response to high tuition fees and fierce competition, but also reflects a profound change in educational concepts.

parents are beginning to think more pragmatically and choose educational paths that are more in line with their children's growth needs and their family's financial affordability.

although the halo of international schools is no longer shining, the diversification of the education market is providing every family with more choices.

from international schools to studying abroad to full-time training institutions,parents no longer blindly pursue the "elite" label, but rationally plan a more suitable and sustainable educational future for their children.