Thread: Harrow Beijing school loses its hallowed British branding

Regulations force Chinese affiliate of famous English public school to drop its foreign name

A Beijing school affiliated with the 450-year-old English public school Harrow has been forced to drop its famous brand name as part of a broad tightening of controls on education providers in China. Harrow Beijing has told parents that the bilingual school will in the future be known by the name Lide.

A Harrow representative said the change was due to local authorities enforcing national rules on the naming of private schools that teach Chinese nationals. The rules are part of an increasingly constrictive regulatory regime that is prompting British schools to reconsider their investment in the mainland Chinese market after more than a decade of rapid expansion.

Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, said schools were “increasingly wary” of engaging in Chinese projects. “The general situation seems increasingly adverse and it is more and more difficult to see how China allows our schools to feel comfortable that their historic vision can be allowed to express itself there,” he said.

The Chinese government last year wiped billions of dollars from the value of listed private education providers when it banned the $100bn-a-year industry from making a profit from core tutoring services aimed at children. Beijing separately tightened restrictions on teaching foreign curricula to students undergoing compulsory education, which covers the first nine of Chinese pupils’ 12 years at school. Harrow Beijing is the most prominent British-affiliated school to have had to alter its branding because of the rules announced last year that ban schools that accept Chinese students from using foreign names in their titles, as well as words like “international” or “global”.

Harrow Beijing groups together the Harrow International School in Beijing, which admits foreign passport-holders, an early years school and the Harrow Beijing bilingual school, which teaches Chinese students up to the age of 16. It is part of the Hong Kong-based Asia International School Limited, which was founded by oil billionaire Daniel Chiu and operates schools in cities including Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

An Asia International subsidiary sublicenses Harrow’s brand and takes educational direction from the English school. A representative for Asia International said only the bilingual school would change its name and its “vision and educational philosophy” would remain unaltered. Other Harrow-affiliated bilingual schools elsewhere in China still used the British school’s brand, but “would be compliant” if local officials in their areas requested they change their names, Asia International said.

Chinese provider Dipont Education in January changed the name of Nanwai King’s College School Wuxi to remove the brand of its partner, the English public school King’s College School Wimbledon. The school is now known as Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Science. Several British public schools already provide support for bilingual schools for Chinese students under local names.

Dulwich College, for example, is partnered with Dehong International Schools, while schools under the brand Huili are supported by Wellington College. Scott Bryan, international director of Wellington College, said there was limited prospect of growth in the foreseeable future even for such separately branded schools.


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A Harrow representative said the change was due to local authorities enforcing national rules on the naming of private schools that teach Chinese nationals.

I suppose the school opting to keep their name, and instead remove all Chinese students probably wouldn't sit too well.

"Hallowed"? Pathetic beyond words. Harrowed. Good riddance, Vassals. School for bumboys.

Originally Posted by Edmond

I suppose the school opting to keep their name, and instead remove all Chinese students probably wouldn't sit too well.

Not going to work in the current climate in China with a lack of expats. Even in good times some of these schools recruit 60-&0% of the body from the local population, and thus could not afford to.

Originally Posted by sabang

Good riddance, Vassals.

Do you have your Chinese passport yet?

Here are the 10 countries with the highest IQs:

1. Japan (106.48)
2. Taiwan (106.47)
3. Singapore (105.89)
4. Hong Kong (105.37)
5. China (104.1)
6. South Korea (102.35)
7. Belarus (101.6)
8. Finland (101.2)
9. Liechtenstein (101.07)
10. Germany (100.74)

https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...test-countries


^ I'm too dumb to get one willy. The only reason Chinese send their kids to substandard western schools is to be multilingual, cosmopolitan, and maybe get a posh accent. Soon, our smartest will be sending their smart kids to study over there- and get a proper education.

Originally Posted by sabang

^ I'm too dumb

Agreed.

We all know you would never get a job at Harrow willy.

Originally Posted by sabang

Here are the 10 countries with the highest IQs:

1. Japan (106.48)
2. Taiwan (106.47)
3. Singapore (105.89)
4. Hong Kong (105.37)
5. China (104.1)
6. South Korea (102.35)
7. Belarus (101.6)
8. Finland (101.2)
9. Liechtenstein (101.07)
10. Germany (100.74)

https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...test-countries


^ I'm too dumb to get one willy. The only reason Chinese send their kids to substandard western schools is to be multilingual, cosmopolitan, and maybe get a posh accent. Soon, our smartest will be sending their smart kids to study over there- and get a proper education.

Most UK based public schools have waiting lists.

Did HK IQ rise after you left?

Originally Posted by sabang

We all know you would never get a job at Harrow willy.

Another non-sequitur.

This article appears to have really triggered you, Sab.

Originally Posted by sabang

"Hallowed"? Pathetic beyond words. Harrowed.Good riddance, Vassals.

Originally Posted by sabang

"Hallowed"? Pathetic beyond words. Harrowed. Good riddance, Vassals. School for bumboys.

Another sneaky edit after others have replied.

Rather gutless and disingenuous.

No willy, just an afterthought. Anyway, while the name Harrow does still carry some cachet, I have a feeling the Chinese spin off will be the stronger educational institution.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Another sneaky edit after others have replied.

Rather gutless and disingenuous.

Maybe reminded him of his own schoolboy experiences.

Originally Posted by sabang

I have a feeling the Chinese spin off will be the stronger educational institution.

Sure it will, that's why there is such demand for foreign education in China.

Is sabang on another one of his rants -- how tedious, this is an article about a school changing it's name and the cretin makes it about his own agenda again.

You may have heard of PISA PH (if not- Giyf). China regularly tops the world rankings. They emphasize good old fashioned 3R's education- while we increasingly emphasize 'holistic education', 'inclusivity' and stuff like that- and fall in the academic ratings compared to east Asia. For example, few of our kids want to do anything beyond basic Maths any more- too difficult. Thus China absolutely thrashes us at this. That is why I reckon the Chinese satellite will soon enough be academically stronger than Harrow, if it isn't already.

And yes fwiw, I reckon we should emphasize 3R's more in our schooling system. Too many lawyers, not enough engineers.

Originally Posted by sabang

You may have heard of PISA PH (if not- Giyf). China regularly tops the world rankings. They emphasize good old fashioned 3R's education- while we increasingly emphasize 'holistic education', 'inclusivity' and stuff like that- and fall in the academic ratings compared to east Asia. For example, few of our kids want to do anything beyond basic Maths any more- too difficult. Thus China absolutely thrashes us at this. That is why I reckon the Chinese satellite will soon enough be academically stronger than Harrow, if it isn't already.

And yes fwiw, I reckon we should emphasize 3R's more in our schooling system. Too many lawyers, not enough engineers.

It will still require global influences on education in general, and ‘networking’ if they are to move up from the current peer/parent pressure system.

Originally Posted by sabang

You may have heard of PISA PH (if not- Giyf). China regularly tops the world rankings.

Good God, you really are a Beijing shill by now. Haven't you heard that individuality is the main driving force for change and success, not rote learning China-style?

Originally Posted by sabang

You do have a point, although I'm not sure if it was the particular point you were making.



https://www.oecd.org/pisa/


^ It is a Fact. Why do facts scare you?

whoosh!

China regularly tops the world rankings

No they don’t. China doesn’t measure the small cities or countryside. The PISA results are made up of Shanghai, Beijing (I think HK are measured separately).

So, of course, a few urban centres and elite areas will appear to dominate other countries who measure the whole population.