this year, the public international departments of the high school entrance examination were deserted, and the student recruitment situation of international schools was even more worrying.

recently, news about the loss of students from many well-known international schools in beijing has caused a stir among parents.

although these data have not yet been officially verified, judging from the current feedback, we cannot help but take them seriously.

international school a:

about 40 students left the 8th grade, and another 41 left the 9th grade. the attrition rate in these two years has reached 25%.

international school b:

among the more than 90 students in grade 8, more than 20 chose to transfer, with a dropout rate of 22%.

international school c:

among the approximately 120 students in grade 9, the dropout rate is as high as 30%, according to parents.

international school d:

among the students going from 8th to 9th grade, many transferred directly to american high schools.

the rising student dropout rate in international schools not only reflects the fierce competition in the international education market, but also reveals parents' urgent expectations for education quality and diverse choices.

more importantly, faced with the pressure of student recruitment, more and more international schools are in a precarious state.

old famous schools fight overtly and covertly

as market competition intensifies, the student recruitment problem in many schools has become increasingly prominent.

in this competition, the movements of two top international schools, suzhou changshu uwc and beijing keystone international school, have attracted much attention.

the two schools, one in the south and one in the north, each attracts a loyal group of parents.

however, in the past two years, they have been dissatisfied with the local students and started to "compete across borders" with the intention of expanding their influence in each other's territory.

as two prestigious universities meet head-on, the battle for high-quality students becomes increasingly fierce.

as a well-established prestigious university in beijing, keystone is no longer limited to students from the capital, nor is it satisfied with traditional study abroad destinations such as jiangsu, zhejiang and shanghai. instead, it has set its sights on more and more second-, third- and fourth-tier cities.

according to online news, a parent of keystone school revealed that the school is actively contacting campus personnel in these cities and planning various activities to attract more students and parents.

although the phenomenon of "buying students" has not been mentioned in any public occasion, many parents have long been accustomed to it.

for example, it is widely rumored among parents that keystone retains outstanding students through scholarships, or uses large sums of money and resources to attract top students from other schools.

this caused the school atmosphere to gradually deviate from the original purpose of running the school, and the educational model of international schools also became an upgraded version of international curriculum plus college entrance guidance.

the influx of "study kings" is like putting a catfish among sardines. those children who have been studying at keystone since childhood are often unable to cope with the pressure of the new academic masters and eventually have to transfer to more buddhist international schools.

students with financial resources directly immigrate or transfer to british and american high schools, while some students with excellent academic performance choose public international departments.

as luck would have it, uwc has also been stepping up its recruitment campaign in beijing, attracting the attention of many parents. some parents even directly believe that international schools in beijing are not as good as uwc.

compared with keystone, uwc has always maintained its international and diversified genes, and better meets the needs of beijing parents.

as one of the origin schools of the ib, uwc is recognized worldwide, has a high degree of internationalization, has extensive alumni network resources, a long history of running schools, and excellent application results, which has become a confidence guarantee for parents to choose schools.

judging from the reviews online, the uwc experience varies greatly. some people are worried about the school spirit, while others are worried about the limit on the number of schools they can apply to.

whether it is keystone or uwc, there are still some unknown truths hidden behind the halo of prestigious schools.

it is still difficult to conclude which of the two established international schools can win the hearts of parents more.

in the future, the upcoming completion of basis’ beijing campus may become a “spoiler” in beijing’s international school market and is expected to set off a new round of competition for students.

the addition of this new school may completely rewrite the current situation of the two-way split among international schools.

the halo of the internet celebrity school disappears

in recent years, the frequent collapse of international schools has caused many parents to have doubts about international schools.

some of the once-famous "internet celebrity schools" have now begun to become low-key, and are no longer as active in enrollment and publicity as in previous years.

take qinglanshan international school as an example. this school, founded in 2017, has rapidly risen with its "huawei + tsinghua high school" school-running model and has become the object of pursuit among parents.

the school's background, faculty, environment and circle configuration are all in the first tier, which makes many families place high hopes on it.

the dual-track international and domestic enrollment system has attracted a large number of students and families to qinglanshan. the enrollment situation is becoming more and more popular year by year. some parents even complain that "even if you have money, you may not be able to get in."

however, in recent years, qinglanshan has gradually become more low-key, and even its enrollment publicity is not as much as in the previous two years.

this change is not accidental. with the intensification of market competition and parents' increasing demands for education, qinglanshan faces new challenges.

the tuition fees of qinglanshan international school are among the highest in the local area, which forces many families to consider strong financial pressure when choosing a school.

despite the school's excellent facilities, some students and parents reported that the curriculum and level of personalised attention fell short of their expectations.

especially under the test of academic performance, more and more parents have begun to reflect on whether the halo of "internet celebrities" can really provide their children with an ideal international education.

more importantly, in terms of international education goals, the school’s performance is not as ideal as advertised. instead, it is more like a public school in disguise of an international school.

this has caused some parents to have doubts about the quality of their education.

in fact, this is not just a case of qinglanshan. many similar international schools that are “much ado about nothing” are facing the same dilemma.

no matter how good the initial publicity was, after actually entering these schools, parents and students discovered that the reality was far from their expectations.

the phenomenon of "mismatched goods" has led more and more parents to choose to leave international schools. this trend has exacerbated the student recruitment crisis in international schools.

multiple dilemmas of international education

it is no exaggeration to say that students are the lifeblood of international schools. the impact of student loss on schools is far-reaching and complex.

first of all, the decrease in student enrollment is directly related to the school’s financial situation.

the decline in student numbers means less tuition revenue, which not only affects the daily operations of the school, but also leads to a shortage of funds in areas such as teacher recruitment, facility maintenance and curriculum development.

this financial pressure forces many schools to cut spending, which may ultimately affect the quality of education and create a vicious cycle.

in addition, the loss of students may also trigger a reshuffle in the international education market.

as high-quality schools attract more students and flourish, the matthew effect becomes increasingly evident, and those schools with poor management and low quality may face the risk of closure.

this change not only affects individual schools, but also affects the healthy development of the entire international education market.

from a parent's perspective, the demand for quality education remains strong.

more and more parents are beginning to break away from the trend of blindly following the trend and instead comprehensively evaluate factors such as the teaching quality, curriculum matching, employment prospects, and personal interests of international schools, striving to choose the most suitable educational environment for their children.

they not only want their children to receive a quality education, but also expect the school to provide comprehensive growth opportunities, including the development of academic, social and psychological qualities.

if international schools fail to meet these expectations, parents are left with no choice but to consider other options.

against the backdrop of an economic downturn, many parents have begun to pursue cost-effectiveness and choose to transfer their children back to the international departments of public schools.

in contrast, families that are not short of money but value education are more inclined to send their children to study abroad.

for students, the requirements for educational experience are also constantly increasing.

nowadays, education is not just about imparting knowledge. students are more eager to gain unique experiences and perspectives in school.

they hope to be exposed to diverse cultures, innovative ways of thinking, and rich extracurricular activities, which will become an important part of their future growth.

against the backdrop of the bursting of the international education market bubble, parents and students are becoming increasingly cautious in choosing from a variety of international schools.

they are eager to find a school that can provide quality education and meet their needs.this undoubtedly poses a huge challenge to international schools.

ultimately, the loss of students is just a superficial phenomenon.

although it directly affects the school's financial situation and market competitiveness, the deeper reason is that it reflects the deep desire of parents and students for high-quality international education.

in the face of this challenge, how to achieve a win-win situation for schools, parents and students in the future is our earnest goal.