User blogs
What are the moral issues with internet privacy?
The difference between right and wrong is rarely black and white. When it comes to the big moral issues around internet privacy—from government surveillance to Facebook privacy—you might have your own opinions. But there are two sides to every story.
Let’s take a look at some of the current moral issues surrounding internet privacy.
The law’s guidance on internet privacy
Perhaps the most clear-cut moral issue relating to internet privacy is the use of spyware, and other malicious software, to steal private information and commit cybercrime.
In the U.S., Europe, and other countries, many cyber crimes have been outlawed – reflecting a consensus that stealing is wrong.
In the U.S., federal laws against cybercrime cover:
Unfair or deceptive acts or practices
Credit card fraud
Fraud in connection with identification documents and information
Fraud in connection with access devices
Fraud in connection with computers
These laws make it illegal to invade someone’s privacy in order to steal from them. But they also outlaw hacking that isn’t malicious.
The morality of hacking
In May 2014, the Guardian reported that some of the world’s best security researchers were under threat of indictment for their efforts to expose vulnerabilities in internet infrastructure.
The U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act outlaws hacking or breaking into private networks and systems. But internet security experts use hacking projects to uncover security flaws with the intention of fixing them. For example, the Critical.IO project discovered a weakness in the UPnP protocol that put up to 50 million computers at risk and fixed it—by hacking private computers.
Because of this and many similar incidents, lots of people believe that cybercrime laws should take into account the intent behind hacking, and not just the act itself.
The creep factor
Threats to privacy on the internet don’t only come from criminals. We also willingly give up our personal data on a daily basis, to online services like Facebook and Google.
In these cases, our data isn’t stolen, but many public concerns have arisen over how corporations use the data. For Facebook, holding the personal data of hundreds of millions of users has created an expectation among those users that the company should use it reasonably and protect their privacy. In the past few years, users have raised complaints about:
Sharing of their private information on Facebook with third-party websites and applications, which could be used for data mining
Confusing privacy settings that prevented many users from being able to control their privacy effectively
Bugs that allowed third parties to invade users’ privacy, including one that enabled posting to any Facebook user’s wall
In none of these cases had Facebook broken privacy laws. But in each case, users found their information was being used in a way they did not expect and did not like. These disturbing and unexpected uses of our data are known as the “creep factor.”
The creep factor demonstrates that for companies to use private data ethically, they must be very clear about what they’re doing with it—even if what they’re doing with it is legal. Otherwise, people get a little creeped out.
Freedom of information or the right to be forgotten?
A key feature of the Internet that affects our privacy is its inability to forget. Web pages about individuals often stay online and searchable indefinitely, potentially affecting the subject’s reputation.
In May 2014, the European Union ruled that its citizens had a “right to be forgotten” and told Google it must delete “inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant” pages from its search results.
The case led to debates between those who believe privacy is a human right and those who prioritize freedom of information.
The downside of internet anonymity
While many internet privacy issues are about the exposure of identities, it’s also possible to use many online services anonymously. And often, that anonymity is used for evil.
Doxxing is the act of hacking someone’s personal information (including their address, contact information, and banking details) and posting it anonymously online. In August 2014, hackers posted social security information, PayPal details and other private information belonging to the game developer Phil Fish. Fish later announced he would be leaving the games industry.
Other doxxing victims have included Mel Gibson and the LAPD police chief. Perpetrators might argue that these people got what they deserved, but their actions are hard to defend.
Government surveillance: Necessary or evil?
The governments of most nations, including the U.S. and those in Europe, tap internet traffic as part of national security programs.
While revelations about NSA surveillance in the U.S. led to privacy concerns and talk of a “surveillance state,” many conservative thinkers believe “we need an invasive NSA” to protect against cyber intrusions.
As with all moral issues about internet privacy, there are two sides to the story—that of the person giving up their private data, and that of the person storing it.
What are your thoughts on internet surveillance and privacy online? Is there ever a good reason for a government to spy on its citizens? Or should they all leave us alone?
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/how-to-unblock-websites/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/wifi-password-hacker-cause-data-leakage/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/5-best-torrent-sites/
The difference between right and wrong is rarely black and white. When it comes to the big moral issues around internet privacy—from government surveillance to Facebook privacy—you might have your own opinions. But there are two sides to every story.
Let’s take a look at some of the current moral issues surrounding internet privacy.
The law’s guidance on internet privacy
Perhaps the most clear-cut moral issue relating to internet privacy is the use of spyware, and other malicious software, to steal private information and commit cybercrime.
In the U.S., Europe, and other countries, many cyber crimes have been outlawed – reflecting a consensus that stealing is wrong.
In the U.S., federal laws against cybercrime cover:
Unfair or deceptive acts or practices
Credit card fraud
Fraud in connection with identification documents and information
Fraud in connection with access devices
Fraud in connection with computers
These laws make it illegal to invade someone’s privacy in order to steal from them. But they also outlaw hacking that isn’t malicious.
The morality of hacking
In May 2014, the Guardian reported that some of the world’s best security researchers were under threat of indictment for their efforts to expose vulnerabilities in internet infrastructure.
The U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act outlaws hacking or breaking into private networks and systems. But internet security experts use hacking projects to uncover security flaws with the intention of fixing them. For example, the Critical.IO project discovered a weakness in the UPnP protocol that put up to 50 million computers at risk and fixed it—by hacking private computers.
Because of this and many similar incidents, lots of people believe that cybercrime laws should take into account the intent behind hacking, and not just the act itself.
The creep factor
Threats to privacy on the internet don’t only come from criminals. We also willingly give up our personal data on a daily basis, to online services like Facebook and Google.
In these cases, our data isn’t stolen, but many public concerns have arisen over how corporations use the data. For Facebook, holding the personal data of hundreds of millions of users has created an expectation among those users that the company should use it reasonably and protect their privacy. In the past few years, users have raised complaints about:
Sharing of their private information on Facebook with third-party websites and applications, which could be used for data mining
Confusing privacy settings that prevented many users from being able to control their privacy effectively
Bugs that allowed third parties to invade users’ privacy, including one that enabled posting to any Facebook user’s wall
In none of these cases had Facebook broken privacy laws. But in each case, users found their information was being used in a way they did not expect and did not like. These disturbing and unexpected uses of our data are known as the “creep factor.”
The creep factor demonstrates that for companies to use private data ethically, they must be very clear about what they’re doing with it—even if what they’re doing with it is legal. Otherwise, people get a little creeped out.
Freedom of information or the right to be forgotten?
A key feature of the Internet that affects our privacy is its inability to forget. Web pages about individuals often stay online and searchable indefinitely, potentially affecting the subject’s reputation.
In May 2014, the European Union ruled that its citizens had a “right to be forgotten” and told Google it must delete “inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant” pages from its search results.
The case led to debates between those who believe privacy is a human right and those who prioritize freedom of information.
The downside of internet anonymity
While many internet privacy issues are about the exposure of identities, it’s also possible to use many online services anonymously. And often, that anonymity is used for evil.
Doxxing is the act of hacking someone’s personal information (including their address, contact information, and banking details) and posting it anonymously online. In August 2014, hackers posted social security information, PayPal details and other private information belonging to the game developer Phil Fish. Fish later announced he would be leaving the games industry.
Other doxxing victims have included Mel Gibson and the LAPD police chief. Perpetrators might argue that these people got what they deserved, but their actions are hard to defend.
Government surveillance: Necessary or evil?
The governments of most nations, including the U.S. and those in Europe, tap internet traffic as part of national security programs.
While revelations about NSA surveillance in the U.S. led to privacy concerns and talk of a “surveillance state,” many conservative thinkers believe “we need an invasive NSA” to protect against cyber intrusions.
As with all moral issues about internet privacy, there are two sides to the story—that of the person giving up their private data, and that of the person storing it.
What are your thoughts on internet surveillance and privacy online? Is there ever a good reason for a government to spy on its citizens? Or should they all leave us alone?
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/how-to-unblock-websites/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/wifi-password-hacker-cause-data-leakage/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/5-best-torrent-sites/
What are the most dangerous technologies of the surveillance age?
Technology such as encryption, VPNs, and Tor can help us maintain and defend our privacy online.
But technology can also work in the opposite direction, helping the spooks learn about our private lives and behavior, which makes it difficult for individuals to develop personalities freely from fear and control.
But which technologies should we be afraid about most, and why? And what can help us protect ourselves from these trends?
1. Facial recognition systems
There are already cameras everywhere, and while it’s undeniably entertaining to watch bloopers from everyday life on youtube, it is creepy to know everything we do in public life is potentially made available to the world to consume.
With advanced technology, it will soon be possible to not only record all our public life but also analyze it in almost real time. While facial recognition is far from perfect, it already allows a computer to match a person even if glasses or hats obscure parts of their face.
Quite likely, facial recognition software will become more accurate than humans—especially when scaled to databases the size of a city’s voters registry, national passports, or even that of Facebook.
With advanced face recognition software, a state might be able to find out with high accuracy where a person is at all times, who they are with, and what they are currently doing.
It’s pretty hard to protect against facial recognition. The most effective tools stand out considerably to the human eye, and they only really work if a large number of people use them. If only a few people use tricks to deceive cameras, it will be quite easy to work out who they are.
For now, items that fool the cameras are mainly a sign of (much needed) protest and objection to the automatization of the police state.
2. Ride-sharing apps
Your car is your property, and there are limits to what governments can do with it. They cannot deny you access to it, seize it, or search it without good reason.
In your car, you also decide where to go, and what hardware and software to install.
However, when you rent a car or hop into somebody’s rideshare, you are not protected by these same provisions. On top of that, the app you use to hail the ride knows where you are at all times and will record this data.
The app even knows where you are going before you get there and, in some cases, can even predict your commuting behavior (this risk is also endemic to navigation systems). All of this data is available to advertisers and governments.
At present, it’s still relatively easy to avoid ride-sharing if your hometown has decent public transportation or you can afford a car.
3. Electronic money
Carrying change in our pockets is inconvenient. Finding an ATM nearby can cost money and take time. Most of us have access to electronic payment methods like credit cards, Google Pay, Wechat Pay or Venmo.
But relying on these systems can be dangerous. Not only are all your transactions analyzed and sold to advertisers, but they are also available to your government. Tourists crossing the U.S. border from the north can be refused entry, and possibly even face jail time, because they purchased marijuana legally in Canada.
Electronic money can not only be used to surveil and prosecute you, but also to deny you access to services only available with credit cards, such as online purchases or card-only shops.
If we do end up eradicating cash, as we already have for expensive goods, we are making it easy to marginalize people without access further.
To avoid government snooping, use cash as much as you can, and Bitcoin whenever you shop online.
4. Predictive policing
Predictive policing has inspired many science fiction stories, most famously Philip K Dick’s The Minority Report.
Unlike in The Minority Report, we cannot rely on psychic mutants to see future crime, but instead, we have to rely on existing crime databases, most of which carry a fair amount of prejudice and bias.
Predictive policing amplifies this bias, meaning some crime goes less punished, while citizens in crime-ridden areas are inconvenienced through concentrated law enforcement action, similar to that of racial profiling at airports.
It may seem far-fetched, but predictive policing is already in trial stage at multiple locations around the world—most notably through U.S. military contractor Palantir in New Orleans.
All of the above is why we should all demand ethical technology
It is the responsibility of all of us to use and further ethical technology while rejecting technology that can be used against us.
Wear face covers where you can, even if it is just as a protest. Make use of your own car or even better, public transportation, and pay with cash and Bitcoin wherever possible.
Be vigilant against attempts in your community against any policies that endanger the equality of all and the erosion of your rights.
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
http://www.fastexpressvpn.com/
http://www.fastvpnproxy.com/
http://www.buysecurevpn.com/
Technology such as encryption, VPNs, and Tor can help us maintain and defend our privacy online.
But technology can also work in the opposite direction, helping the spooks learn about our private lives and behavior, which makes it difficult for individuals to develop personalities freely from fear and control.
But which technologies should we be afraid about most, and why? And what can help us protect ourselves from these trends?
1. Facial recognition systems
There are already cameras everywhere, and while it’s undeniably entertaining to watch bloopers from everyday life on youtube, it is creepy to know everything we do in public life is potentially made available to the world to consume.
With advanced technology, it will soon be possible to not only record all our public life but also analyze it in almost real time. While facial recognition is far from perfect, it already allows a computer to match a person even if glasses or hats obscure parts of their face.
Quite likely, facial recognition software will become more accurate than humans—especially when scaled to databases the size of a city’s voters registry, national passports, or even that of Facebook.
With advanced face recognition software, a state might be able to find out with high accuracy where a person is at all times, who they are with, and what they are currently doing.
It’s pretty hard to protect against facial recognition. The most effective tools stand out considerably to the human eye, and they only really work if a large number of people use them. If only a few people use tricks to deceive cameras, it will be quite easy to work out who they are.
For now, items that fool the cameras are mainly a sign of (much needed) protest and objection to the automatization of the police state.
2. Ride-sharing apps
Your car is your property, and there are limits to what governments can do with it. They cannot deny you access to it, seize it, or search it without good reason.
In your car, you also decide where to go, and what hardware and software to install.
However, when you rent a car or hop into somebody’s rideshare, you are not protected by these same provisions. On top of that, the app you use to hail the ride knows where you are at all times and will record this data.
The app even knows where you are going before you get there and, in some cases, can even predict your commuting behavior (this risk is also endemic to navigation systems). All of this data is available to advertisers and governments.
At present, it’s still relatively easy to avoid ride-sharing if your hometown has decent public transportation or you can afford a car.
3. Electronic money
Carrying change in our pockets is inconvenient. Finding an ATM nearby can cost money and take time. Most of us have access to electronic payment methods like credit cards, Google Pay, Wechat Pay or Venmo.
But relying on these systems can be dangerous. Not only are all your transactions analyzed and sold to advertisers, but they are also available to your government. Tourists crossing the U.S. border from the north can be refused entry, and possibly even face jail time, because they purchased marijuana legally in Canada.
Electronic money can not only be used to surveil and prosecute you, but also to deny you access to services only available with credit cards, such as online purchases or card-only shops.
If we do end up eradicating cash, as we already have for expensive goods, we are making it easy to marginalize people without access further.
To avoid government snooping, use cash as much as you can, and Bitcoin whenever you shop online.
4. Predictive policing
Predictive policing has inspired many science fiction stories, most famously Philip K Dick’s The Minority Report.
Unlike in The Minority Report, we cannot rely on psychic mutants to see future crime, but instead, we have to rely on existing crime databases, most of which carry a fair amount of prejudice and bias.
Predictive policing amplifies this bias, meaning some crime goes less punished, while citizens in crime-ridden areas are inconvenienced through concentrated law enforcement action, similar to that of racial profiling at airports.
It may seem far-fetched, but predictive policing is already in trial stage at multiple locations around the world—most notably through U.S. military contractor Palantir in New Orleans.
All of the above is why we should all demand ethical technology
It is the responsibility of all of us to use and further ethical technology while rejecting technology that can be used against us.
Wear face covers where you can, even if it is just as a protest. Make use of your own car or even better, public transportation, and pay with cash and Bitcoin wherever possible.
Be vigilant against attempts in your community against any policies that endanger the equality of all and the erosion of your rights.
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
http://www.fastexpressvpn.com/
http://www.fastvpnproxy.com/
http://www.buysecurevpn.com/
4 Ways you can be identified through social media
On social media, it is easy to forget who can see our posts. A pseudonym can protect us from revealing too much, but there are still plenty of ways we can accidentally dox ourselves.
1. There’s lots of metadata in images
Many cameras and smartphones collect metadata along with the picture. This data might include the time you took the photo, information about your camera, and highly sensitive information such as GPS coordinates or usernames.
Some social media sites will remove this metadata from the image before making it publicly available, but they will still collect and store the information for themselves. Other sites will not remove your metadata at all.
It’s best always to remove metadata yourself to prevent unwanted followers to show up at your doorstep.
Some metadata is pretty hard to remove. A picture of you in front of the Eiffel Tower will always reveal that you are currently in Paris, for example. So maybe it’s best to wait until you are back home to post it so as not give potential robbers any ideas.
Look carefully at pictures before you post them. Maybe a street sign or passing public bus reveals your location?
2. QR Codes are embedded with lots of information
We know it’s tempting to show your followers that you are on your way to a vacation, or just saw a cool new blockbuster, but this is not without risk. Be careful of everything that has a QR code in it, such as movie tickets or flight tickets. The QR code might include your loyalty card number or even your name.
With this information, a criminal, personal enemy, or even just a prankster might be able to successfully change your flight, get themselves movie tickets on your expense, or empty your loyalty card.
3. Your language and writing style is a dead giveaway
Blogging anonymously is hard. You will have to change your language and style and avoid slang carefully. Everybody has some words they use far more than others, and the science of stylometry helps people find out who wrote what.
The more casual the writing style, the easier it is to find out who is the author of an anonymous piece, such as a song.
It is possible to use computers to automatically analyze essays, work emails, or blog posts and correlate them with the style of the social media account.
Your IP address will betray you
Every site you visit can see your IP address. Somebody who wants to find out your IP address and approximate location needs only to trick you into visiting a site they own, for example by commenting on your recent social media post, and then routing the request.
It’s straightforward to reroute traffic unnoticeably, for example by using a link shortener service. A shortened link can direct to a third-party before forwarding on to the site you expect to see, and there is no visible trace your information was caught in the middle.
In some countries, such as the United States, it’s even easier to get internet usage data. ISPs will happily sell your information to anyone who asks, so any site you have visited can cheaply find out our name and address.
Think twice before you post anything
You already know you have to be careful with what you post on your social media accounts. But be especially careful with metadata, information in the background of pictures and videos, and QR and barcodes.
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
http://www.vpnsnetflix.net/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/popular-adult-site-exposed-user-data/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/what-is-the-best-vpn-provider-for-uae-in-2019/
On social media, it is easy to forget who can see our posts. A pseudonym can protect us from revealing too much, but there are still plenty of ways we can accidentally dox ourselves.
1. There’s lots of metadata in images
Many cameras and smartphones collect metadata along with the picture. This data might include the time you took the photo, information about your camera, and highly sensitive information such as GPS coordinates or usernames.
Some social media sites will remove this metadata from the image before making it publicly available, but they will still collect and store the information for themselves. Other sites will not remove your metadata at all.
It’s best always to remove metadata yourself to prevent unwanted followers to show up at your doorstep.
Some metadata is pretty hard to remove. A picture of you in front of the Eiffel Tower will always reveal that you are currently in Paris, for example. So maybe it’s best to wait until you are back home to post it so as not give potential robbers any ideas.
Look carefully at pictures before you post them. Maybe a street sign or passing public bus reveals your location?
2. QR Codes are embedded with lots of information
We know it’s tempting to show your followers that you are on your way to a vacation, or just saw a cool new blockbuster, but this is not without risk. Be careful of everything that has a QR code in it, such as movie tickets or flight tickets. The QR code might include your loyalty card number or even your name.
With this information, a criminal, personal enemy, or even just a prankster might be able to successfully change your flight, get themselves movie tickets on your expense, or empty your loyalty card.
3. Your language and writing style is a dead giveaway
Blogging anonymously is hard. You will have to change your language and style and avoid slang carefully. Everybody has some words they use far more than others, and the science of stylometry helps people find out who wrote what.
The more casual the writing style, the easier it is to find out who is the author of an anonymous piece, such as a song.
It is possible to use computers to automatically analyze essays, work emails, or blog posts and correlate them with the style of the social media account.
Your IP address will betray you
Every site you visit can see your IP address. Somebody who wants to find out your IP address and approximate location needs only to trick you into visiting a site they own, for example by commenting on your recent social media post, and then routing the request.
It’s straightforward to reroute traffic unnoticeably, for example by using a link shortener service. A shortened link can direct to a third-party before forwarding on to the site you expect to see, and there is no visible trace your information was caught in the middle.
In some countries, such as the United States, it’s even easier to get internet usage data. ISPs will happily sell your information to anyone who asks, so any site you have visited can cheaply find out our name and address.
Think twice before you post anything
You already know you have to be careful with what you post on your social media accounts. But be especially careful with metadata, information in the background of pictures and videos, and QR and barcodes.
When comes to the issue of online privacy and security, we suggest to use a VPN, and our recommendation is RitaVPN. RitaVPN is an excellent choice for accessing your favorite geo-blocked content. It allows P2P connections on all servers and offers specialized servers for Netflix and other favorite streaming channels. RitaVPN is a relatively new VPN service, but it’s already making a name for itself，which makes it one of the best VPN in 2019.
Qwer432
http://www.vpnsnetflix.net/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/popular-adult-site-exposed-user-data/
https://www.ritavpn.com/blog/what-is-the-best-vpn-provider-for-uae-in-2019/
You will find below a list of the most popular international and
bilingual schools for expats in China with fee information. It includes
nursery schools, primary and secondary (high) schools and you will find
the right school to prepare for International Baccalaureate, and other
diploma in China. Some schools will follow the American or British
curriculums with English speaking programs while others are regulated
under the French or Japanese education system.best kindergarten in hangzhou
Education in China
Education in the People's Republic of China is state-run system administered by the Ministry of Education. It is the largest education system in the world. Schooling is free of charge for Chinese citizens age 6 to 15 (books and uniforms may cost a small fee). In rural parts of China, many students stop their education at age 15. The Ministry of Education estimates that 99.7 percent of the population has achieved a nine-year basic education.
Chinese public schools are required by law to accept children of legal foreign residents. Admissions requirements vary but schools may require an admissions application, health records, passport, visa information, school records, birth certificate, recommendation letters, interviews, entrance exams and language requirements. Students who cannot speak Mandarin are held at first grade until their language skills reach acceptable levels. All classes except English are taught entirely in Chinese and there is little support for families and students who do not speak Chinese.
International Schools
International schools can be the perfect solution for an expat student (multinational corporation executives, children of diplomats, NGO staff) in China. There are a growing number of private schools in China. These schools mostly cater to wealthy Chinese or international students. Schools usually follow a curriculum model from the US, UK, France, Canada or Australia/New Zealand. Primary instruction may be any language (and multiple languages are usually taught), but it is usually in English, French, Spanish, German, or Japanese. Many schools provide similar standards of schooling around the globe, providing for an easy transition between schools whether they are in France or Vietnam. Schools often provide internationally accepted accreditation such as the international baccalaureate.
Most international schools in China will only accept Chinese who hold a foreign passport. There are over 70 schools approved by China's Ministry of Education to provide foreign instruction. Unlike local children, foreigners must pay a yearly tuition which varies but starts at about 28,000 RMB.
Admission and enrollment procedures vary from school to school. Space is often limited and preference may be given to students based on nationality. Tuition tends to be expensive based on local standards, but offers high standards of learning, boast smaller class sizes, first-rate facilities, and extracurricular. Boarding facilities are available at some schools, but most only provide day classes.
Education in China
Education in the People's Republic of China is state-run system administered by the Ministry of Education. It is the largest education system in the world. Schooling is free of charge for Chinese citizens age 6 to 15 (books and uniforms may cost a small fee). In rural parts of China, many students stop their education at age 15. The Ministry of Education estimates that 99.7 percent of the population has achieved a nine-year basic education.
Chinese public schools are required by law to accept children of legal foreign residents. Admissions requirements vary but schools may require an admissions application, health records, passport, visa information, school records, birth certificate, recommendation letters, interviews, entrance exams and language requirements. Students who cannot speak Mandarin are held at first grade until their language skills reach acceptable levels. All classes except English are taught entirely in Chinese and there is little support for families and students who do not speak Chinese.
International Schools
International schools can be the perfect solution for an expat student (multinational corporation executives, children of diplomats, NGO staff) in China. There are a growing number of private schools in China. These schools mostly cater to wealthy Chinese or international students. Schools usually follow a curriculum model from the US, UK, France, Canada or Australia/New Zealand. Primary instruction may be any language (and multiple languages are usually taught), but it is usually in English, French, Spanish, German, or Japanese. Many schools provide similar standards of schooling around the globe, providing for an easy transition between schools whether they are in France or Vietnam. Schools often provide internationally accepted accreditation such as the international baccalaureate.
Most international schools in China will only accept Chinese who hold a foreign passport. There are over 70 schools approved by China's Ministry of Education to provide foreign instruction. Unlike local children, foreigners must pay a yearly tuition which varies but starts at about 28,000 RMB.
Admission and enrollment procedures vary from school to school. Space is often limited and preference may be given to students based on nationality. Tuition tends to be expensive based on local standards, but offers high standards of learning, boast smaller class sizes, first-rate facilities, and extracurricular. Boarding facilities are available at some schools, but most only provide day classes.
Chinese American International School (CAIS) is a private, independent
school in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. Founded in 1981,
with just ten students in the basement of a University of California
Extension building, CAIS is the earliest Mandarin-English dual-language
immersion school in the United States.international school in Tianjin
The school now enrolls 520 students in grades pre-K through eight on three campuses: early childhood, lower school, and middle school. CAIS follows a 50/50 Chinese/English model in the early childhood and lower school divisions and a 30/70 model in the middle school. Currently, classes in grades pre-K through five are staffed by both a lead teacher and a teaching associate. CAIS was a recipient of the Goldman Sachs Award for Excellence for International Education in 2005.
CAIS employs full-time curriculum leaders in both English and Chinese who work with teachers and teaching associates in all three divisions on designing and delivering an integrated and aligned curriculum in both languages. In the early childhood and lower school divisions, and to a lesser degree in the middle school, the curriculum is organized into integrated units, with all subjects and both languages integrated under a unified theme.
Examples are “Exploring Living Things” (pre-K); “Everyone can make a change/Helping Others is the Foundation of Happiness” (3rd grade); and “Water, Water, Everywhere” (7th grade). CAIS’s curriculum framework ensures integration across languages and subjects through six “Focuses of Integration”—lenses through which all subjects can be viewed across all grades. Inspired by the IB MYP (International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme) “Areas of Integration,” the CAIS “Focuses of Integration” are Change and Continuity, Environments, Global Citizenship, Self-Development, Culture, and Innovation and Creativity.
Subjects
In the early childhood and lower school divisions, students learn language arts, social studies, math, and health in Chinese. Language arts, social studies, math, lab science, and PE are taught in English, and the visual and performing arts are taught in both languages, with selection of language dependent on staffing. The school has dual language social emotional learning programs both in the classroom and on the playground.
In middle school, language arts and social studies and some arts classes are taught in Chinese.
CAIS employs a Chinese-speaking educational technology integrator for all divisions, and technology skills are integrated directly into the curriculum in all subjects in both Chinese and English. Coding and design are separate classes taught in English.In CAIS’s play-based early childhood program, the focus is on oral and aural proficiency within a developmentally appropriate pre-literacy program.
In the lower school, CAIS is moving increasingly toward a workshop model in both reading and writing that is aligned between Chinese and English. In English the school has implemented reading and writing workshop models from Teachers College at Columbia University, which have been revised and adapted for the Chinese classroom. CAIS lower school is also developing a guided reading program in Chinese, and the school is currently working with a Bay Area publisher along with a few other immersion schools to pilot a Chinese guided level reading system. CAIS middle school is also moving to a workshop model in Chinese writing.
CAIS has long contemplated the relationship between language learning objectives and content knowledge objectives within immersion instruction. Accordingly, the school has developed a document entitled “Goals and Principles of Chinese Immersion Instruction at CAIS,” which defines clearly our approach to immersion instruction and the relationship between language and content learning. Our curriculum maps indicate both language objectives and content objectives for each curriculum unit. The CAIS curriculum in Chinese is aligned with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
In 2012, CAIS changed from full-form or “traditional” Chinese characters to simplified characters as the basic script for teaching and learning in the Chinese language classroom. This transition took place after 31 years of using the traditional, full-form script.
The school now enrolls 520 students in grades pre-K through eight on three campuses: early childhood, lower school, and middle school. CAIS follows a 50/50 Chinese/English model in the early childhood and lower school divisions and a 30/70 model in the middle school. Currently, classes in grades pre-K through five are staffed by both a lead teacher and a teaching associate. CAIS was a recipient of the Goldman Sachs Award for Excellence for International Education in 2005.
CAIS employs full-time curriculum leaders in both English and Chinese who work with teachers and teaching associates in all three divisions on designing and delivering an integrated and aligned curriculum in both languages. In the early childhood and lower school divisions, and to a lesser degree in the middle school, the curriculum is organized into integrated units, with all subjects and both languages integrated under a unified theme.
Examples are “Exploring Living Things” (pre-K); “Everyone can make a change/Helping Others is the Foundation of Happiness” (3rd grade); and “Water, Water, Everywhere” (7th grade). CAIS’s curriculum framework ensures integration across languages and subjects through six “Focuses of Integration”—lenses through which all subjects can be viewed across all grades. Inspired by the IB MYP (International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme) “Areas of Integration,” the CAIS “Focuses of Integration” are Change and Continuity, Environments, Global Citizenship, Self-Development, Culture, and Innovation and Creativity.
Subjects
In the early childhood and lower school divisions, students learn language arts, social studies, math, and health in Chinese. Language arts, social studies, math, lab science, and PE are taught in English, and the visual and performing arts are taught in both languages, with selection of language dependent on staffing. The school has dual language social emotional learning programs both in the classroom and on the playground.
In middle school, language arts and social studies and some arts classes are taught in Chinese.
CAIS employs a Chinese-speaking educational technology integrator for all divisions, and technology skills are integrated directly into the curriculum in all subjects in both Chinese and English. Coding and design are separate classes taught in English.In CAIS’s play-based early childhood program, the focus is on oral and aural proficiency within a developmentally appropriate pre-literacy program.
In the lower school, CAIS is moving increasingly toward a workshop model in both reading and writing that is aligned between Chinese and English. In English the school has implemented reading and writing workshop models from Teachers College at Columbia University, which have been revised and adapted for the Chinese classroom. CAIS lower school is also developing a guided reading program in Chinese, and the school is currently working with a Bay Area publisher along with a few other immersion schools to pilot a Chinese guided level reading system. CAIS middle school is also moving to a workshop model in Chinese writing.
CAIS has long contemplated the relationship between language learning objectives and content knowledge objectives within immersion instruction. Accordingly, the school has developed a document entitled “Goals and Principles of Chinese Immersion Instruction at CAIS,” which defines clearly our approach to immersion instruction and the relationship between language and content learning. Our curriculum maps indicate both language objectives and content objectives for each curriculum unit. The CAIS curriculum in Chinese is aligned with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
In 2012, CAIS changed from full-form or “traditional” Chinese characters to simplified characters as the basic script for teaching and learning in the Chinese language classroom. This transition took place after 31 years of using the traditional, full-form script.
The Tianjing BISS International School seems to have found a way out
from its recent troubles, forging a strategic partnership with
Tianjing-based ETU Education. The deal will cover operations,
management, marketing, enrollment and curriculum development.Tianjin international school
BISS, founded in 1994, is one of Tianjing's oldest international schools. The sister school of the ISS International School in Singapore, BISS was renowned for its strong foreign faculty, expertise in International Baccalaureate programs and success in sending its students to world-class universities, including Harvard, Stanford and the National University of Singapore.
However, a few months ago it ran into financial trouble, according to a report by The Tianjing News. Later, teachers joined a strike to force the school owner and board of directors to pay their dues.
The local educational authority made continuous attempts to help BISS get out of trouble until ETU Education made the decision to cooperate with the school.Li Yinuo, the co-founder of ETU Education, says about the partnership: "BISS is a respectable international school with a long history and proven track record when it comes to the IB program.
"We believe that this comprehensive collaboration between ETU and BISS will offer two different, but complementary, education paths for students from different backgrounds and with diverse needs."
ETU Education, which was started in 2016, is an emerging innovation project in China that seeks to offer students experiential learning courses by developing culturally-rich curriculums that combine China's standard syllabus with advanced teaching methods around the world.
In this sense, Li says, ETU's China-based innovative education efforts will also provide BISS with a unique Chinese perspective to its localization of the IB curriculum in China, and use its global resources to improve the learning and teaching standards of BISS.
In the past two months, ETU has helped BISS resolve its financial problems and stabilize its faculty, ensuring that it will be back to normal for the next semester.This summer, ETU and BISS will launch exchange programs for both teachers and students with Singapore-based ISS.
Elvis Tan, director of BISS, says the partnership with ETU is a milestone for BISS which has been in China for the past 25 years, adding: "We will continuously work together to provide the kids, regardless of their cultures and nationalities, a better education and a better future."
Zhou Jing, the mother of a BISS student, says she thinks the cooperation is an efficient way for BISS to overcome its difficulties."I think ETU is a burgeoning, promising project, and hopefully it will bring vigor and new blood to BISS' development," Zhou says.
She says she sent her daughter to BISS in 2015 because it boasted a high-quality faculty and IB courses."ETU emphasizes the importance of learning Chinese culture, which is a good complement to the internationalized courses offered by BISS," says Zhou.
BISS, founded in 1994, is one of Tianjing's oldest international schools. The sister school of the ISS International School in Singapore, BISS was renowned for its strong foreign faculty, expertise in International Baccalaureate programs and success in sending its students to world-class universities, including Harvard, Stanford and the National University of Singapore.
However, a few months ago it ran into financial trouble, according to a report by The Tianjing News. Later, teachers joined a strike to force the school owner and board of directors to pay their dues.
The local educational authority made continuous attempts to help BISS get out of trouble until ETU Education made the decision to cooperate with the school.Li Yinuo, the co-founder of ETU Education, says about the partnership: "BISS is a respectable international school with a long history and proven track record when it comes to the IB program.
"We believe that this comprehensive collaboration between ETU and BISS will offer two different, but complementary, education paths for students from different backgrounds and with diverse needs."
ETU Education, which was started in 2016, is an emerging innovation project in China that seeks to offer students experiential learning courses by developing culturally-rich curriculums that combine China's standard syllabus with advanced teaching methods around the world.
In this sense, Li says, ETU's China-based innovative education efforts will also provide BISS with a unique Chinese perspective to its localization of the IB curriculum in China, and use its global resources to improve the learning and teaching standards of BISS.
In the past two months, ETU has helped BISS resolve its financial problems and stabilize its faculty, ensuring that it will be back to normal for the next semester.This summer, ETU and BISS will launch exchange programs for both teachers and students with Singapore-based ISS.
Elvis Tan, director of BISS, says the partnership with ETU is a milestone for BISS which has been in China for the past 25 years, adding: "We will continuously work together to provide the kids, regardless of their cultures and nationalities, a better education and a better future."
Zhou Jing, the mother of a BISS student, says she thinks the cooperation is an efficient way for BISS to overcome its difficulties."I think ETU is a burgeoning, promising project, and hopefully it will bring vigor and new blood to BISS' development," Zhou says.
She says she sent her daughter to BISS in 2015 because it boasted a high-quality faculty and IB courses."ETU emphasizes the importance of learning Chinese culture, which is a good complement to the internationalized courses offered by BISS," says Zhou.
As I sit comfortably on my bed writing this blog at home in Shanghai, I
feel content for a few seconds until a wave of confusion hits me. Now,
as a Malaysian who has studied in China for the past 14 years, I
suddenly struggle to know why or what I meant by writing ‘home.’ International school Shanghai
Reflecting on the 14 years I have been at YCIS, one of the most significant benefits of being an international school student is perhaps the opportunity to meet lifelong friends from all over the world. We meet students from across a spectrum of countries, such as Australia, the UK, Philippines, and Brazil, exposing us to a wide variety of cultures. Every day, we spend an average of eight hours together in school. Thereby, from strangers we make friends, from friends, people become best friends, and for the lucky ones, into lifelong friends. Though a part of this experience comprises friends arriving and departing, we make the most of the current situation by unknowingly enmeshing these friendships and Shanghai into part of what we deem as ‘home.’
While we may not realise it day-to-day, our small but frequent interactions with our friends are valuable learning experiences that provide us with new lenses and outlooks about our world. Whether this happens at school or outside of school, we are continuously acclimatising ourselves to different perspectives, expanding our understanding of cultural differences. Often, we overlook all of these facets, when in fact, they really are a blessing.
As a Malaysian who has lived in Shanghai for a majority of her life, I’d say that being an international student has taught me so many things I will never forget. Throughout the years, I have realised that home has indeed become a paradox, and ultimately, it is up to us to decide what home is. For me, I certainly haven’t forgotten about home in Malaysia, but I also call Shanghai my second home: I’ve been here since the age of 4, and I have laughed, cried, and more here – the list can go on forever. After all, like the proverb says, home is where the heart is.
Reflecting on the 14 years I have been at YCIS, one of the most significant benefits of being an international school student is perhaps the opportunity to meet lifelong friends from all over the world. We meet students from across a spectrum of countries, such as Australia, the UK, Philippines, and Brazil, exposing us to a wide variety of cultures. Every day, we spend an average of eight hours together in school. Thereby, from strangers we make friends, from friends, people become best friends, and for the lucky ones, into lifelong friends. Though a part of this experience comprises friends arriving and departing, we make the most of the current situation by unknowingly enmeshing these friendships and Shanghai into part of what we deem as ‘home.’
While we may not realise it day-to-day, our small but frequent interactions with our friends are valuable learning experiences that provide us with new lenses and outlooks about our world. Whether this happens at school or outside of school, we are continuously acclimatising ourselves to different perspectives, expanding our understanding of cultural differences. Often, we overlook all of these facets, when in fact, they really are a blessing.
As a Malaysian who has lived in Shanghai for a majority of her life, I’d say that being an international student has taught me so many things I will never forget. Throughout the years, I have realised that home has indeed become a paradox, and ultimately, it is up to us to decide what home is. For me, I certainly haven’t forgotten about home in Malaysia, but I also call Shanghai my second home: I’ve been here since the age of 4, and I have laughed, cried, and more here – the list can go on forever. After all, like the proverb says, home is where the heart is.
For universities and colleges recruitment, development, and retention of
our human resources are crucial to the growth and sustainability of our
institutions. While we recognize that human capital is our most
important resource we often overlook the importance of ongoing
professional development for our administrators, faculty and staff,
particularly as institutions are faced with change and complex
challenges. Over the last decade higher education has seen reduced
funding, new budget models, new technologies, the introduction of
performance targets and metrics, and new student demographics.
Professional development is mission critical for higher education
institutions – and investment in professional development can
differentiate and distinguish an institution as a learning organization
for the future. Teacher training for early years or nursery education
The Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD) has been providing professional development for university and college administrators and managers for over 30 years. Like institutions, we are changing too, with new current curriculum, technologies and delivery modes. This fall we have two fully online credentials targeted to the evolving higher education professional in Canada: one focusing on University and College Administration and one dedicated to Academic Advising.
The group covers research in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and teachers’ careers.The aims of the Teacher Education and Development SIG are:
to bring together all those with a special interest in the full continuum of teacher education – initial teacher education, induction, early professional development continuing professional development, accomplished teaching/advanced certification and leadership preparation/development across school and higher education settings;
to promote UK-wide, comparative and international perspectives on contemporary developments in policy and practice for teacher education and teaching across the life course;
to promote research on and for teacher education, including consideration of the work and identities of teachers and teacher educators;
to explore and theorise the links between knowledge creation and identity across the continuum of student, teacher and teacher educator learning.
The Centre for Higher Education Research and Development (CHERD) has been providing professional development for university and college administrators and managers for over 30 years. Like institutions, we are changing too, with new current curriculum, technologies and delivery modes. This fall we have two fully online credentials targeted to the evolving higher education professional in Canada: one focusing on University and College Administration and one dedicated to Academic Advising.
The group covers research in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and teachers’ careers.The aims of the Teacher Education and Development SIG are:
to bring together all those with a special interest in the full continuum of teacher education – initial teacher education, induction, early professional development continuing professional development, accomplished teaching/advanced certification and leadership preparation/development across school and higher education settings;
to promote UK-wide, comparative and international perspectives on contemporary developments in policy and practice for teacher education and teaching across the life course;
to promote research on and for teacher education, including consideration of the work and identities of teachers and teacher educators;
to explore and theorise the links between knowledge creation and identity across the continuum of student, teacher and teacher educator learning.
It's time for some summer fun, enrolling in multiple summer camps can be
costly. The good news is there's plenty of free fun to be had that
entertains and even educates children while giving parents' wallets a
vacation too.Weekend activity programmes for children
Find free summer programs for kids that won't cost you a cent and will keep your children busy until the school bell rings again.
Movies
Watch a free movie at the theater or under the stars. Many movie theaters host free movie days throughout the summer. Outdoor movies are usually in the park where there's plenty of room for families to spread out with blankets and coolers.Indoors or outdoors, some free movie events are sponsored, which usually includes games, prizes, and food giveaways. Kids probably won't get to see the latest box office smash, but they do get to watch a family-friendly movie at no cost to you.
Sports Clinics
Learn from college athletes, their coaches, and even professionals in the sport. Free sports clinics are usually held on college campuses for a limited amount of kids. Each free sports clinic has its own rules but many allow children as young as 4 and up to 17 years of age.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
What's it like to work at a TV station? How does the mail get from point A to point B? Let the kids take a behind the scenes tour to find out.You can tour many places simply by asking. Be creative when choosing locations to visit. If your kids are interested in animals, tour a veterinary hospital. If they like baseball, set up a tour at your local stadium.
Camps
Grants and sponsors make some summer camps free for kids. Art, writing, theater, math, science and reading camps are some of the themes of these camps. But many also include crafts, field trips, and swimming.There are even special free summer camps that cover anti-bullying, conflict resolution, self-esteem, leadership skills, and personal safety topics.
Vacation Bible School
Churches hold Vacation Bible School as an outreach of their ministries. Members of the church, as well as non-members, are invited for a free week of fun. Kids sing songs, learn Bible lessons, make friends, create crafts, perform in skits and learn how to treat others, among other valuable lessons.Each church has its own age guidelines but 3 and up usually benefit the most from Vacation Bible School.
Volunteer Opportunities
As soon as kids can walk, they can start learning the benefits of volunteering with you. When they get older, they can branch out into their own volunteering opportunities.
Cleaning up the park or the beach, collecting books and toys for the less privileged, visiting nursing homes and helping prepare meals for the homeless are just a few of the many ways kids can volunteer.
Library Events
The library is an excellent venue for story time. But did you know there are even more activities for kids at the library that won't get them shushed? Most libraries offer free summer reading programs. Kids sign up to read a certain amount of books over the summer. The library then awards prizes and holds a party for the eager readers at the end of the reading program.
Or just stop in for one of the library's other special events. Themed activity days may include book readings, related crafts, and hands-on learning. For example, a fire safety day might feature stories about firefighters, a dress-up time where kids can put on a firefighter's gear and a visit from a real fire truck so kids can see how it works. Other lessons can also be educational with activities designed to teach kids about computers, stranger danger, and bike and water safety.
Arts and Crafts at Museums
Introduce art appreciation at a young age. Museums are reaching out to future artists through free kids' programs that encourage them to create their own works of art.
Storytime ties book illustrations into the art you find in the museum. Kids enjoy craft time, paint, use clay and a variety of other mediums to enrich their art experience.
Parks and Recreation Activities
Playing in the park can be more than an hour on the playground. Many parks and recreation departments set up a summer schedule of day-long activities.Kids are exposed to the arts, fitness lessons, a variety of sports, even computer instruction. Check your city's local parks and recreation department website to see what activities are planned near you.
Building Workshops
Some home improvement stores offer free building workshops that help kids build everything from a birdhouse to a miniature schoolhouse. Kids get free aprons, goggles and the required tools and supplies to build their own project with the help of the store's employees.The most popular kids' workshops are through Home Depot and Lowe's. Home Depot's Kids Workshop is the first Saturday of the month. Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics are every Saturday.
Admission to Children's Museums, Theaters and Art Museums
Spend a day at a children's learning museum, children's theater or art museum absolutely free. Target Free Days lists thousands of places across the country where admission is free. Some locations have a reduced-cost admission, but most waive the admission fee completely. The program is available all year long, but it's perfect for summer outings with the whole family.
Find free summer programs for kids that won't cost you a cent and will keep your children busy until the school bell rings again.
Movies
Watch a free movie at the theater or under the stars. Many movie theaters host free movie days throughout the summer. Outdoor movies are usually in the park where there's plenty of room for families to spread out with blankets and coolers.Indoors or outdoors, some free movie events are sponsored, which usually includes games, prizes, and food giveaways. Kids probably won't get to see the latest box office smash, but they do get to watch a family-friendly movie at no cost to you.
Sports Clinics
Learn from college athletes, their coaches, and even professionals in the sport. Free sports clinics are usually held on college campuses for a limited amount of kids. Each free sports clinic has its own rules but many allow children as young as 4 and up to 17 years of age.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
What's it like to work at a TV station? How does the mail get from point A to point B? Let the kids take a behind the scenes tour to find out.You can tour many places simply by asking. Be creative when choosing locations to visit. If your kids are interested in animals, tour a veterinary hospital. If they like baseball, set up a tour at your local stadium.
Camps
Grants and sponsors make some summer camps free for kids. Art, writing, theater, math, science and reading camps are some of the themes of these camps. But many also include crafts, field trips, and swimming.There are even special free summer camps that cover anti-bullying, conflict resolution, self-esteem, leadership skills, and personal safety topics.
Vacation Bible School
Churches hold Vacation Bible School as an outreach of their ministries. Members of the church, as well as non-members, are invited for a free week of fun. Kids sing songs, learn Bible lessons, make friends, create crafts, perform in skits and learn how to treat others, among other valuable lessons.Each church has its own age guidelines but 3 and up usually benefit the most from Vacation Bible School.
Volunteer Opportunities
As soon as kids can walk, they can start learning the benefits of volunteering with you. When they get older, they can branch out into their own volunteering opportunities.
Cleaning up the park or the beach, collecting books and toys for the less privileged, visiting nursing homes and helping prepare meals for the homeless are just a few of the many ways kids can volunteer.
Library Events
The library is an excellent venue for story time. But did you know there are even more activities for kids at the library that won't get them shushed? Most libraries offer free summer reading programs. Kids sign up to read a certain amount of books over the summer. The library then awards prizes and holds a party for the eager readers at the end of the reading program.
Or just stop in for one of the library's other special events. Themed activity days may include book readings, related crafts, and hands-on learning. For example, a fire safety day might feature stories about firefighters, a dress-up time where kids can put on a firefighter's gear and a visit from a real fire truck so kids can see how it works. Other lessons can also be educational with activities designed to teach kids about computers, stranger danger, and bike and water safety.
Arts and Crafts at Museums
Introduce art appreciation at a young age. Museums are reaching out to future artists through free kids' programs that encourage them to create their own works of art.
Storytime ties book illustrations into the art you find in the museum. Kids enjoy craft time, paint, use clay and a variety of other mediums to enrich their art experience.
Parks and Recreation Activities
Playing in the park can be more than an hour on the playground. Many parks and recreation departments set up a summer schedule of day-long activities.Kids are exposed to the arts, fitness lessons, a variety of sports, even computer instruction. Check your city's local parks and recreation department website to see what activities are planned near you.
Building Workshops
Some home improvement stores offer free building workshops that help kids build everything from a birdhouse to a miniature schoolhouse. Kids get free aprons, goggles and the required tools and supplies to build their own project with the help of the store's employees.The most popular kids' workshops are through Home Depot and Lowe's. Home Depot's Kids Workshop is the first Saturday of the month. Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics are every Saturday.
Admission to Children's Museums, Theaters and Art Museums
Spend a day at a children's learning museum, children's theater or art museum absolutely free. Target Free Days lists thousands of places across the country where admission is free. Some locations have a reduced-cost admission, but most waive the admission fee completely. The program is available all year long, but it's perfect for summer outings with the whole family.
Mohsine el Baghdadi always wanted to be an English teacher in China, considering such a job to be ideal.
A friend who taught English in China told the 27-year-old Moroccan that foreign teachers are in high demand, there are boundless opportunities and the jobs are well paid.
Baghdadi’s own experience confirmed this. Replies flooded in after he posted a message on Facebook, stating: “Hello from Morocco. I am an English-language teacher searching for a good job with a good salary in China.”teaching jobs in China for foreigners
Many of the replies were job invitations from recruitment agencies, while others came from language institutes. For the most part, they told Baghdadi that applying for a job in China was straightforward. It was sufficient merely to submit a resume.
The salary also was tempting. Baghdadi teaches English in Morocco, where he is paid $500 a month. However, those who approached him from China offered a monthly salary ranging from $1,500 to $2,500, with a bonus.
But he said some of those who replied appeared too eager to hire foreign teachers, and Baghdadi said he was even given “illegal advice” about getting a job.
The regulation on foreign experts’ work permits states that overseas language teachers in China must obtain a work visa and be a native speaker with a bachelor’s degree or higher, have at least two years of related teaching experience and no criminal record.
This means that Baghdadi, who is not a native English speaker and does not have sufficient experience in teaching the language, may never have the chance to work in China as a teacher.
“But some agencies told me that they could help me apply for a Chinese business visa, and I could become a teacher in China, come what may,” he said.
Teaching English is a lucrative business in China, as the country’s opening-up to the world means more people are looking to learn the “universal language”. For foreigners, their nationality and even their skin tone can, at times, be their ticket to securing a teaching job.
According to a report last year from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 300 million people in China were learning English. There were 50,000 English-language training institutions in the country and the training market was worth as much as 500 billion yuan ($72 billion), the report said.
The high demand for English-language instruction had made finding a job for most foreigners, particularly those who are white, little more than a formality.
According to a survey by Banyuetan, a Xinhua News Agency magazine, in 2017, there were more than 400,000 foreign teachers working in the education sector in China, but only one-third of them were employed legally.
In recent years, the country has been rocked by a number of high-profile scandals resulting from a lack of vigilance in hiring foreign teachers. In some cases, people with questionable backgrounds have landed jobs.
The latest such case occurred last month. On July 23, an English-language teacher from Colombia working at the Hong Huang Lan Kindergarten in Qingdao, Shandong province, was arrested for allegedly molesting a 4-year-old girl.
Earlier in July, 16 foreigners were detained in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, for allegedly taking drugs. According to Xuzhou police, seven of them work for an education company, and the remaining nine are students.
Media reports later said a number of foreign teachers from the EF Education center in Xuzhou had been detained by police for allegedly taking drugs. According to the company’s website, EF is an international education company based in Sweden, and has centers in many Chinese cities.
In April 2013, media reports said that Neil Robinson, from the United Kingdom, had taught at the Beijing World Youth Academy, an international school, for nearly four years while being wanted for questioning by British police in connection with child sex offences.
Such cases have aroused widespread concern among parents and students, with many of them calling for the qualifications of foreign teachers at English-learning organizations to be subject to nationwide inspection.
On some online expatriate forums, topics such as “How to become an English teacher in China without a work permit”, or “nonnative speakers can also teach in China” are popular. They offer tips for those who want to work in the country without the required documentation or experience.
One of the items stated, “Although a Chinese work visa is the only visa that it is technically legal to teach with, there is also the possibility that they might offer you an alternative one instead, such as a student visa or a business visa.
A friend who taught English in China told the 27-year-old Moroccan that foreign teachers are in high demand, there are boundless opportunities and the jobs are well paid.
Baghdadi’s own experience confirmed this. Replies flooded in after he posted a message on Facebook, stating: “Hello from Morocco. I am an English-language teacher searching for a good job with a good salary in China.”teaching jobs in China for foreigners
Many of the replies were job invitations from recruitment agencies, while others came from language institutes. For the most part, they told Baghdadi that applying for a job in China was straightforward. It was sufficient merely to submit a resume.
The salary also was tempting. Baghdadi teaches English in Morocco, where he is paid $500 a month. However, those who approached him from China offered a monthly salary ranging from $1,500 to $2,500, with a bonus.
But he said some of those who replied appeared too eager to hire foreign teachers, and Baghdadi said he was even given “illegal advice” about getting a job.
The regulation on foreign experts’ work permits states that overseas language teachers in China must obtain a work visa and be a native speaker with a bachelor’s degree or higher, have at least two years of related teaching experience and no criminal record.
This means that Baghdadi, who is not a native English speaker and does not have sufficient experience in teaching the language, may never have the chance to work in China as a teacher.
“But some agencies told me that they could help me apply for a Chinese business visa, and I could become a teacher in China, come what may,” he said.
Teaching English is a lucrative business in China, as the country’s opening-up to the world means more people are looking to learn the “universal language”. For foreigners, their nationality and even their skin tone can, at times, be their ticket to securing a teaching job.
According to a report last year from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 300 million people in China were learning English. There were 50,000 English-language training institutions in the country and the training market was worth as much as 500 billion yuan ($72 billion), the report said.
The high demand for English-language instruction had made finding a job for most foreigners, particularly those who are white, little more than a formality.
According to a survey by Banyuetan, a Xinhua News Agency magazine, in 2017, there were more than 400,000 foreign teachers working in the education sector in China, but only one-third of them were employed legally.
In recent years, the country has been rocked by a number of high-profile scandals resulting from a lack of vigilance in hiring foreign teachers. In some cases, people with questionable backgrounds have landed jobs.
The latest such case occurred last month. On July 23, an English-language teacher from Colombia working at the Hong Huang Lan Kindergarten in Qingdao, Shandong province, was arrested for allegedly molesting a 4-year-old girl.
Earlier in July, 16 foreigners were detained in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, for allegedly taking drugs. According to Xuzhou police, seven of them work for an education company, and the remaining nine are students.
Media reports later said a number of foreign teachers from the EF Education center in Xuzhou had been detained by police for allegedly taking drugs. According to the company’s website, EF is an international education company based in Sweden, and has centers in many Chinese cities.
In April 2013, media reports said that Neil Robinson, from the United Kingdom, had taught at the Beijing World Youth Academy, an international school, for nearly four years while being wanted for questioning by British police in connection with child sex offences.
Such cases have aroused widespread concern among parents and students, with many of them calling for the qualifications of foreign teachers at English-learning organizations to be subject to nationwide inspection.
On some online expatriate forums, topics such as “How to become an English teacher in China without a work permit”, or “nonnative speakers can also teach in China” are popular. They offer tips for those who want to work in the country without the required documentation or experience.
One of the items stated, “Although a Chinese work visa is the only visa that it is technically legal to teach with, there is also the possibility that they might offer you an alternative one instead, such as a student visa or a business visa.