International School of Beijing

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International School of Beijing
Image:International School of Beijing.jpg
Director Tom Hawkins
School type Private Day
Religious affiliation None
Founded 1980
Location Beijing, China
Enrollment 1,775
Campus Surroundings Large Private Campus
Mascot Dragon
School color(s) Blue and White

The International School of Beijing (ISB) is a private, international school for expatriate students living in Beijing, China. Only children with non-Chinese passports are allowed to enroll. The school was founded in the 1980 by five English groups from Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, and Britain.

Currently, the school is celebrating its 25th anniversary. As part of the celebration of 25 years of ISB, the school will create an alumni association to maintain the connection between ISB and its former students and teachers.

ISB's curriculum is taught in English to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It offers the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement Program.

In 1996, there were 1001 students enrolled at ISB. In 2002, the location of the school moved from the Lido complex to a newly built 33-acre facility in the Shunyi District. Currently there are 1,775 students from 52 countries enrolled. Of those, 594 make up the highschool. Typically the school year begins in August and ends in June. The yearly tuition fees are $8,250 - $21,300 US dollars.

High School students take part in a travelling program through the school formerly called "China Studies," now renamed "China Link." Chaperoned, week-long trips to the walled city of Xi'an, Yantai fishing village, and other Chinese cities are designed to educate students and impart upon them a greater appreciation for China's history and culture.

Highschool graduates have gone on to attend prestigious schools such as Cornell University, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, the University of Toronto, and Harvard and Cambridge University.

Recently, the school has been criticised of having a lack of transparency between the school board, the administration, and the general ISB community. One such situation has been the sudden resignation of former director John Johnson. The school board has refused repeatedly to disclose any information regarding the situation, but many believe that the director's resignation most likely concerned issues of corruption. Nonetheless, the International School of Beijing has started to slowly address some of these concerns.

International School of Beijing

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