GoKunming Forums

Failed international HS

Trumpster (84 posts) • +1

My wife recently told me about an established international HS that suddenly shuttered its campus mid-semester, apparently it's causing quite a ripple effect and unwanted attention from the government and society at large.

Anybody with first hand information and would like to share? All I can get are rumors and speculations.

Trumpster (84 posts) • +1

Yup, sorry for not being explicit.

From the reports, in essence, the school ran out of funding, weren't able to pay the teachers despite have just received a year's tuition upfront, and the bosses skipped town.

This coupled with another similar situation, this time in Beijing, could mark the beginning of a declining market? Just trying to see if this is a one-off or part of a bigger pattern.

Liumingke1234 (3297 posts) • +1

It is not a rumor. There is a H.S. in the south that had an international division and it was closed down. The owner took the tuition money and left. My wife showed me the article a few months ago so I can't find it now.
If I find it I will post it.
I think this is the school.
baijiahao.baidu.com/[...]

Napoleon (1187 posts) • +1

This was the one in the East of the city. We had the parents turning up at the Education ministry. Although I wasn't there at the time as it was over the Christmas/New Year Holiday otherwise I could shed a bit more light on it.

As far as I know the local education of that district got everyone into new schools. Whether they were able to get better/similar schools I don't know. Private education is a money pit for investors and parents, I wouldn't be surprised if a second one goes within 2019 as there is at least one more on the ropes at present.

It was always going to be a possibility which is why the local government stopped giving these private "international schools" new licences since Chinese New Year 2016.

Liumingke1234 (3297 posts) • 0

What else would H.S. mean when the topic is about 'school'?

:-)

Ishmael (462 posts) • -1

Hope they catch the thief and make his face very public. Running an educational institution as a profit-making(?) business is a bad idea anyway, IMHO.

Trumpster (84 posts) • 0

@Ocean Yes, I meant HS, I assumed that was common knowledge. So what do the Brits and the Commonwealth call it, Secondary School, SS? And sorry about you not being American. ;-)

@Liumingke1234 That link was similar to what my wife had read. I guess I was just trying to confirm the details by someone in the know. My main curiosity is trying to determine if the failure was due to poor management or a changing market condition.

@Napolean By "we", I assume you worked there when this happened? So would you say it was poor management that did them in or was it the market simply wasn't there to support such a school in Kunming.

Related forum threads

Login to post