The publication of Lenora Chu’s new memoir “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve” has reignited interest in the Chinese education system. Her book examines the pros and cons of Chinese schools through her son’s experiences in a Shanghai kindergarten and her own investigative reporting. While Chu acknowledges the challenges of the Chinese education system, she also praises a number of positive aspects, concluding that American schools could learn from China.
When I was reading this book, I couldn’t help thinking about the many Western women I know in China who have Chinese husbands and children here. What experiences did they have with the Chinese education system? What did they like or dislike about it? Would they send their kids to Chinese schools or prefer to educate them in their own countries?
That inspired me and the team of bloggers at WWAM BAM to search for Western women married to Chinese men who were willing to share their own experiences and perspectives on the Chinese education system. We were fortunate to find Sonia, Charlotte Edwards, and Tiffany, who talked to us about the decisions they made for their children.
We’ve just published their thoughts in a blog post on WWAM BAM titled 3 Foreign Women with Kids in China Talk About Chinese Schools. Each of these ladies had a completely different approach for educating their children, along with different opinions about Chinese schools. Here’s a snippet from the blog post:
Should I send my kids to Chinese schools? It’s a question that many foreign parents in China ask themselves, especially those with a Chinese spouse.
Journalist Lenora Chu asked herself the same question years ago in Shanghai when deciding where to send her son Rainey. She ultimately enrolled him in a local Shanghai kindergarten, and the experience inspired her to examine the Chinese education system as a reporter and mother. Her new memoir “Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve” offers a nuanced and balanced perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of the Chinese education system. “Little Soldiers” ought to be required reading for any Westerner wondering if children would benefit from Chinese schooling.
After reading “Little Soldiers” I was curious to know about the experiences of any foreign parents with Chinese schools or their perspectives on the Chinese education system. We asked some Western women who married Chinese men and lived in China about the decisions they made for their children.
To read the full post, head on over to WWAM BAM! A huge thank you to Sonia, Charlotte and Tiffany, as well as fellow blogger Julia Chen, who helped us find and contact these contributors.
Finally, for anyone curious about the Chinese education system, “Little Soldiers” should be required reading. You can find it at Amazon, where your purchases help support this blog.
The group blog WWAM BAM just published my post titled 3 American WWAMs in Asia Share Thanksgiving Stories. Here’s an excerpt from my contribution to the piece:
In case you missed it, 
