'Donate' to get spot in choice school

Housewife Feng Ziyan, 32, didn't want to settle for the primary school in her neighbourhood when the time came for her to decide where to enrol her daughter.

She had her sights set on another school with higher standards, at least 20 minutes' drive away.

She tapped on her connections to get in touch with leaders of the desired school to find out their needs and helped them by getting university lecturers to give talks there.

It worked: Her daughter got in.

"Parents are in two minds. Of course, we want our kids to go to a nearby school but education quality differs so much," she told The Straits Times.

Her experience is shared by many parents in China's big cities, who would rather bypass schools in their backyards to try for those with a better record of academic success.

This has created growing competition and much stress when Primary 1 registration comes around each May.

Under China's nine-year compulsory education system, each child is guaranteed a place in the primary school in his or her precinct.

But many parents hope to give their children a leg up by getting them into more reputable schools, often outside their neighbourhood.

"The crux of the problem is the huge disparity in the quality of schools in China," said education scholar Xiong Bingqi.

Some schools just have better trained teachers and produce more students who go to the top universities, said Ms Feng.

The Primary 1 registration exercise can get murky, though there are proper ways to apply to a school outside one's area.

Children can apply on the basis of a talent, say, in the arts or sports. Parents can donate to the school - but this is capped at 30,000 yuan (S$6,200) and schools may be picky.

There's no priority for children whose parents are alumni or from religious or clan groups linked to the school, unlike in Singapore.

But civil servants tend to have it easier.

Their children are guaranteed a spot in a school, usually a sought-after one sponsored by their government organisation.

Places are also set aside for children of senior officials.

The latter two channels are considered above board though resented by the less powerful.

It becomes greyer when some make a deal under the table, usually after relying on friends of friends or middlemen to put one in touch with school leaders.

Driver Mu Shuhua, 49, for example, donated 5,000 yuan to get his son into a primary school about 15 years ago. The principal later called Mr Mu up and hinted at air tickets for his daughter's trip to Shanghai. Mr Mu parted with another 2,000 yuan.

These days, a coveted school place can cost up to 250,000 yuan, said Chinese media reports.

Most of the money may not go to the school but is creamed off by middlemen instead.

As Ms Feng said, "If our schools are of the same standard, parents won't have to do such things."

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