Indeed, the reported experiences of virtually everyone whose children attended Chinese nursery school and kindergarten were positive. However, one couple who brought their children with them to live several years ago suggests that parents give strict instructions to their children's preschool not to give them any medications or vaccinations without prior parental approval. There had been a serious health incident at the school when the wrong medication was mistakenly given to a large number of children. While the parents believed this was an isolated incident, they suggested that other American parents give similar instructions to the school against administering medicine or shots.

At the elementary school level, a few big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, and Guangzhou, have international schools. Beijing now has a Montessori school. Tuition at most of the international schools is expensive, but reports on school quality are overwhelmingly positive. Children seem to have few problems with academic readjustment when they return to U.S. schools. The International School of Beijing is a coeducational day school for English-speaking expatriate children in kindergarten through twelfth grades. It operates in a four-story building in the Lido (Holiday Inn) Hotel complex located in the northeastern suburbs of Beijing. (The school is accredited in the United States only through the eighth grade, and is currently seeking full accreditation for the high school.) Tuition is $8,100 a year per child. Fulbright faculty are given stipends to send their children to international schools. One parent whose son attends the International School of Beijing at the Lido Center writes "It is an excellent school, even better than American schools." Writes another:

Our daughter attends the Beijing International School [and] is in the 9th grade. We have been quite satisfied with the school and [our daughter] has enjoyed it very much. She has made very good friends on an international scale-Denmark, Norway, India, Iraq, etc. The curriculum is similar to U.S. high schools and the faculty seem to be mostly very good. There are some limitations in the upper school as to classes available. The languages offered are Chinese and French. The classes are small. . .and there are 18 students in her class. I have heard very good comments about the lower and middle schools, also.

Space is limited. If you are interested in the school, you should submit an application as early as possible before your proposed arrival in China. For further information, write:

Mr. David Eaton

Principal

The International School of Beijing

Jiang Tai Road

Dongzhimen Wai

Beijing 100004

People's Republic of China