Hangzhou Foreign Language School

Hangzhou Foreign Languages School (also known as HFLS, or 杭州外国语学校，杭外) founded in 1964, Hangzhou Foreign Language School is one of the eight earliest foreign languages schools in China. Entitled by the Ministry of Education, 20% of the excellent graduates are admitted by top universities in China without taking the National Higher Education Entrance Examination.^[1]

History

In 1963, the shortage of foreign talent made the new Republic adopt special policies to train them, so that Hangzhou Foreign Language School was established with other 7 foreign language school in Shanghai, Beijing, Changchun, Nanjing, Xi'an, Chongqing and Wuhan.

In 1964, primary school department of HFLS was established, located in the campus of Zhejiang Infant Normal School; middle school department was located in the former Affiliated Middle School of Hangzhou University (today Xuejun Middle School). In 1966, the primary school and the middle school department merged, the site was in Zhejiang Infant Normal School. As Cultural Revolution began in 1966, the school stopped recruiting students, old students left school successively after 1969. Students in primary school department transferred to other nearby schools. All middle school students joined the "Down to the Countryside Movement". Almost all teachers except English teachers were asked to leave.

Admission

Hangzhou Foreign Language School had been the only school allowed to conduct entrance exams for elementary school graduates in Zhejiang Province. During the 1990s, the elementary schools in Hangzhou (capital of Zhejiang Province) were given a quota of one student each class, normally the top student. Together with students recommended for their special talents in arts and music, around 1000 students in the city sat the Mathematics and Chinese written exams, around 100 qualified for second stage interviews, and 80 students aged 13~14 were admitted, forming 2 classes in entering Junior One.^[2]

Due to pressure from other schools, Hangzhou Foreign Languages School's entrance exams evolved towards the form of pure interviews after 2000. The candidates pool was extended to all elementary schools in the province and both the candidates quota and number of admissions became larger, recruiting 11~12 classes each year.

In 2009, the Department of Education of Zhejiang announced that the school will become an affiliate of the then newly established Zhejiang International Studies University, which caused the school to stop conducting entrance interviews. The decision of affiliation was later revoked, but the school continued to have a random process in choosing the students instead of carrying out the interviews.

Graduate

Graduates of the school prepare the students for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination as most high schools in China. They also cooperates with other foreign schools (including both high schools and undergraduate colleges) to provide further opportunities to the students.

In 2009, some of the graduates established an association in order to maintain the close relationship between alumni.^[3]。

References

External links

• Nanjing Foreign Languages School
• Shanghai Foreign Language School
• HFLS school website
• HFLS alumni associations

Coordinates: 30°13′19″N 120°02′01″E / 30.22194°N 120.03361°E / 30.22194; 120.03361