P.S. 184M Shuang Wen School (T: 雙文學校, S: 双文学校, Shuāng Wén Xuéxiào), a public school in New York City also known as P.S. 184M, is a bilingual elementary school located on the Lower East Side, Manhattan, a step away from Chinatown, Manhattan.The school teaches pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. It is a part of the New York City Department of Education.
Because this school defies some common stereotypes about race, wealth, educational achievement, this school has been written about in the newspaper and television media [1] According to some, respect for education among the immigrant population in New York City and across generations of immigrants to this city, may be a factor in the success of this school. While up to 70% of students have family incomes low enough to qualify for free lunch, they receive the support from parents and school to excel on citywide tests and maintain near-perfect school attendance [2].
From 3:00-5:30 pm, the students learn how to speak, write, and read Mandarin Chinese in its traditional form. This after-school program is paid for by the parents of participating children. Admission is by lottery. As with all New York City public schools, priority is given to those who already have siblings in the school.
Teachers, parents and 6th through 8th graders are consistent in reporting both the pluses and minuses of this school. Most agree that the school is safe, clean, and relatively free of bullying, gangs, drugs, alcohol and violence [3]. Drawbacks include a lack of computer or technology instruction and no sports teams or theater opportunities [4]. Extra-curricular activities and clubs are very limited due to the long school day and emphasis on learning Mandarin Chinese.
The eighth graders of 2007 were the first graduating class of Shuang Wen. The school first opened in 1998 . The first graduating class consisted of two eighth grade class (about 40-50 students in total).
In 2008, the school won the Golden Apple Award from the New York City Department of Sanitation. These are awarded for school beautification, recycling or waste prevention. In 2008 the US Department of Education awarded Shuang Wen the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence [5]. Graduating classes take a graduation trip to China. The second graduating class trip caused some controversy and was reported on China's television channel, CCTV.