Does homeschooling have a future in China? Find out from Michael Farris, as he talks about China’s educational policies with Mike Smith, on today’s Home School Heartbeat.
Mike Smith:
Mike, what did you discover about China’s education policy and practice during your visit to that country?
Michael Farris:
The most astonishing thing that I found out is that in many cases, people are required to pay tuition to go to the public schools in China. So there’s a user-pay system in China that is unlike what we have in the United States. In that sense, America is more socialistic in its funding of education than China is—I found that remarkable. I also found out that it’s possible to have private schools in China, and that both international residents and Chinese nationals can attend the private schools, which I believe provides some potential interesting opportunities.
Mike Smith:
Do you think there's an opportunity for homeschooling in China?
Mike Farris:
Today, homeschooling would not meet the compulsory education laws of China. However, a private education is allowed in China, and there are some sanctioned schools that allow Chinese nationals and international residents to attend, and I think there are some hopeful opportunities that would come from that. But parental freedom and religious freedom, which are the foundations of homeschooling freedom, simply don’t exist—in the ways that we think of them—in China today. I hope that China’s going to be more and more free, but there’s a long way to go.
Mike Smith:
Well, Mike, thanks for sharing with us this week, and giving our listeners an up-close view of China’s policies. Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
