Letter From Beijing

Hit serials in China battle against 'nei juan'

They show how parents can avoid the rat race to get their children into brand-name schools by letting them follow their interests

Aw Cheng Wei
China Correspondent
Ms Pan Lin rented a unit in Beijing’s Haidian district – known for its top schools – a year before her son was due to start primary school. PHOTO: COURTESY OF PAN LIN
Ms Li Qun moved into the residences of Beijing’s University of Science and Technology when her older daughter got a place there for postgraduate studies, so that her younger daughter could attend the university’s affiliate primary school. PHOTO: COURTESY OF LI QUN
Ms You Lan, a mother of three daughters, has adopted a more hands-off approach towards her children’s education, choosing to spend her money on taking them travelling to broaden their knowledge of the world. PHOTO: COURTESY OF YOU LAN
Updated
Published
May 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM
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BEIJING - A year before her son was due to start primary school, Ms Pan Lin moved west into the city so that her only child could attend a top institution in Beijing.

The school in Haidian district will offer him better prospects in life, said Ms Pan, who works in technology. "I have only this one son, and I want to make sure that he has options in the future," she added.

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MCI (P) 076/10/2022, MCI (P) 077/10/2022. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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