Nanjing’s progression to a first tier city is highlighted by the development of world-class education centres.
Along with long time veterans, Nanjing International School (NIS), the British School of Nanjing (BSN) and EtonHouse comes Kids ‘R’ Kids; an American run centre for pre-k (pre-kindergarten) learners that has just opened its doors in Nanjing.
While NIS and BSN cater to all years ranging from pre-k right up to the last year of high school. Kids ‘R’ Kids focuses only on pre-k; preparing children for their academic future as early as possible. This gives the newcomer access to the lucrative Chinese market that their compatriots need give up as children come of school age, thanks to a “foreign passport holders only” restriction on international schools.
With the ethos “hug first then teach” this learning center is introducing to China one of the most fundamental Western teaching methods available. Nurture before academics. Although, while their ethos may deter some, its annually updated curriculum appears second to none. “The company offers a variety of curriculum programs designed for infants. Its proprietary First Class Curriculum is designed specifically for every developmental stage…Kids ‘R’ Kids launched a revolutionary music curriculum called ColourSoundation, which was developed by noted Los Angeles-based musician and teacher Shiho Yamamoto, to teach very young children the fundamentals of music through the integration and interplay of colours with sounds,” stated Elaine Jacobs in a company press release on PR Newswire.
Pat and Janis Vincent created the company in 1985; with a 54-year background in pre-school development (which began with their first pre-school in 1961) their unique vision and groundbreaking curriculum has made them a household name, according to the Kids ‘R’ Kids website. This particular brand of pre-school education is new to Nanjing but has been tried and tested in Shanghai for quite some time now.
Montessori is another international early years education provider to have dipped their feet into the Nanjing waters of late, with a branded school opening in the Biajia Lake location vacated by BSN upon moving to their new campus a year ago. With a massive boom in Shanghai and Beijing over recent years, kick starting a style of teaching that is quite different to those left over from the Mao years, the integration of the best of both Western and Chinese styles of teaching at a young age is proving a success for the next generation.
As economic growth slows in China many retail investors worry this will reduce spending, however, high-class education is still seen as a worthy investment. In Shanghai, Montessori curriculum based preschools, mixed international middle schools and prestigious British private schools such as Harrow International are all the rage. There is no shortage of world-class education and as a result of fierce competition, Nanjing is next.
