International schools on the mainland that had been blossoming along with a booming economy are anticipating up to a 10 per cent drop in enrolment in the coming school year. With the deepening financial crisis, businesses are cutting back on staff and funding for schooling of employees' children. While some parents have stayed, increasingly their children are being sent home where schooling is more affordable.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post recently, Jeff Fischmann, director of Qingdao No1 International School Shandong, said many Koreans, who comprised 60 per cent of the total student body, had been repatriated as companies closed factories in the Qingdao area.
'I've heard of many mainland schools that are similarly affected. We are basing next year's budget on a 10 per cent decrease in enrolment,' Mr Fischmann said.
International schools on the mainland are subjected to a policy which precludes them from recruiting local students. However, the restriction seems to be lifting.
Despite the anticipated drop in enrolment in 2009, Mr Fischmann said the school would probably attract more students next year when it moved into a new facility provided by the Qingdao municipal government. The school would take in some local students even though, technically, it was not supposed to.
'Many international schools on the mainland do accept some local students. It does not appear to be a problem as long as the number of local students is relatively small compared with the overall student body. I'm hoping we will be allowed to accept up to 20 per cent qualified local students in future,' he said.
