To study the feasibility and profitability of establishing an Essay

To study the feasibility and profitability of establishing an international school in Mainland China - Essay Example Reed (l988) in her study of Education in the People's Republic of China and U.S underscored the importance of having international schools in China to cater for educational requirements of children of expatriate parents working in the country. Similarly, Fuldien (as cited in Hammond, 2007) demonstrated how the presence of English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong has contributed to the education sector by providing high quality and cost-effective education through the use of English as the medium of instruction. This chapter presents review of the literature of studies done on the feasibility and profitability of establishing an international school in the emerging cities in Mainland China. The chapter is divided into various headings for easier presentation of the literature review. The Chinese education system is lauded as one having the longest history in the world. Available documented evidence indicates that the Chinese practice of education developed from the imperial civil examination system introduced in the early 7th century (as cited in Feagles, 1999). This type of examination system was devised exclusively as a mechanism for choosing and enlisting aspirants for the official system of government of the time and was found to identify only worthiness, competition and valor. Paver and Wang (1992) explain that this instrument was considered a powerful tool built upon social ambitions rather than individual concerns and therefore made examinations the only gauge for future success and achievement. This system has been found to strongly influence the education systems of Chinese communities to date, while still emphasizing the educational values highly esteemed by both parents and students (Paver and Wang, 1992). Reed (l988) in her study reported that the Chinese education system is found to be a mixture of two cultures namely the Chinese culture and the British culture. She maintains that the British culture is responsible for the establishment of elite schools. These elite schools are accordingly sponsored and managed by the major religious bodies such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Church of Christ in China and the Methodist Church (all cited in Reed, l988). Moreover, the regal social examination system laid down in the 7th century has inculcated certain values in the Chinese people which are seen to strongly influence the nature almost all the local schools and the elite schools in Hong Kong. Available studies further argue that this culture inculcated by the system have been responsible to produce all round students and graduates in the world (Kennedy, l977). The consequence of this argument is demonstrated in global comparisons of student achievements. Aanenson ( 1979) illustrates that Chinese students mainly from Hong Kong are always positioned amongst the top. Apart from fostering the spirit of hard-work and competitiveness, the Chinese tradition also underscores the importance of moral education which very much differs from the concept of morality as perceived in the Western countries (Reed, l988). The concept of moral education as recognized by the Chinese puts into account virtually all characteristics of education including but not exhaustively ethics,