The Problem With Chinese Schools

I want to be clear that I’m referring specifically to preschools, after-school programs, and weekend language schools, which follow different regulations than primary schools.

So, what’s the problem with Chinese schools? Below, I’m sharing negative experiences my son had at two different Chinese programs he attended.

The first incident happened at a Mandarin immersion preschool. What they did to my son and his friend could only be described as cruel and inappropriate. In the second incident, an after-school program failed to pick him up and didn’t even realize he was missing from school.

Parents, we need to stand together to protect our children. We must speak out so that Chinese schools can be held accountable and make meaningful improvements. That is my goal: higher standards and better practices, because our children deserve more. At the very least, they deserve to be safe. We must hold Chinese schools to the same standards we expect from English-language programs.

Intelligent Learning Mandarin Immersion Preschool Incident

After touring a new Mandarin immersion school with a friend, we decided to enroll our boys in their summer camp. The teachers seemed kind, and the new facilities were clean and well-maintained. Since the school had just opened, there were only a few students enrolled. The director asked if she could place our boys in the regular preschool class since they were the only two signed up for summer camp. I didn’t see a problem with that and agreed.

However, my son had a hard time adjusting and didn’t want to go to school. His friend cried every day. We assumed they just needed time to settle into a new environment.

One day, the teachers sent a photo of the children eating steamed buns—my son’s favorite. When I picked him up from school, I asked if he had enjoyed the steamed buns. To my surprise, he became upset and screamed that he didn’t get any. Concerned, I asked his teacher what had happened, wondering if he was being punished. She simply replied that our two boys were summer camp students, so they didn’t get the same food as the preschool students.

I was livid. Our boys had been given a small Dixie cup of Cheerios, while the other children received full plates of food. I went back through all the photos we had received over the past few weeks. Sure enough, there were our boys, sitting stone-faced with their tiny cups of Cheerios while the rest of the class happily ate watermelon and steamed buns.

I was so angry and heartbroken for my son that I cried myself to sleep. The money the school saved by not providing them the same meals was trivial compared to the emotional harm it may have caused our children.

These photos are from the parent/teacher chat group

What they were doing amounted to emotional abuse and could even be considered cruel and unusual punishment by the Department of Social Services. The teachers said they felt bad, but the owner insisted on this arrangement because the summer camp tuition was lower than the preschool tuition, even though we were paying an extra $5 per day for meals that were already included in the preschool program. That additional $5 more than covered the cost and quality of the food they were providing to the other children.

What You’re Really Paying Extra For at Mealtime

It took a formal letter listing all of the school’s violations before the owner of the preschool even acknowledged any misconduct. It turns out she was operating an unlicensed facility and is a repeat offender. That same week, a little girl was injured at the school and taken to the emergency room. Her mother messaged me privately about the incident. The school did not file an incident report or inform the other parents.

This school repeatedly failed inspections and was unable to submit the proper documentation. They operated illegally for nearly a year before finally receiving their license. The owner also runs other preschool locations and after-school programs. Her after-school program is not registered with the Board of Education. She has no formal training in childcare or Early Childhood Education. As a parent, do you believe someone with no qualifications should be running a child care facility?

Hanlin Chinese After-School Program Left My Son Behind

Kindergarten in our district has an early dismissal, so I enrolled my son in a neighborhood Chinese after-school program that provides pickup from his elementary school. While inquiring about the program, the owner accidentally sent me another student’s registration form, which included the family’s sensitive information. This raised red flags for me, but I tried to be understanding—everyone makes mistakes, right?

On the first day of kindergarten, I received a call from the elementary school stating that my son was still in the principal’s office, waiting to be picked up. Frantic, I called the after-school program three times, but no one answered. I picked up my son and drove him directly to the program. When I arrived, they had no idea a child was even missing. I approached a teacher who was doing roll call and pointed to my son’s name on the roster. It was printed clearly, yet no one had noticed he wasn’t there. The owner looked at me and said accusingly, “It’s the first day of school. I thought you picked him up yourself.”

Not wanting to overreact, I held back my anger and thought, let’s just see how the rest of the day goes. That afternoon, my sister picked up my son from the program, and what she witnessed was absolute chaos. A teacher let her in without checking her ID or verifying which child she was picking up.

Later that evening, the owner sent out an unprofessional email to all parents. She wrote, “I hope the parents to be more supportive instead judge us and complaining why we are not in their kids class the first time. You do have your choice to drop your child at our school.” She continued with excuses, saying they needed more vehicles, had difficulty finding parking, and didn’t know what the students looked like. She even falsely claimed she had arrived early, though other parents and the kindergarten teacher confirmed that they were late. One child was crying because he was the last to be picked up.

The owner offered no apology and provided no transparency to the other parents about what happened. She added that we would not be charged, as if that addressed the seriousness of the situation. Since that day, other parents have told me the program has forgotten children before, including one incident where a child was left behind for an entire hour. One parent said she canceled her enrollment, yet continues to receive invoices. Several parents, upset by how the owner handled our situation, decided to transfer their children to another program.

The Problem With Chinese Schools

• Many preschools and child care programs illegally operate without a license
• Parents are unaware of licensing requirements
• Owners violate regulations without fear of legal repercussions
• Not much Chinese is being taught at Chinese schools
• Hygiene and safety issues
• Disorganized business operations

It used to be true that Chinese preschools, daycares, and after-school programs were more affordable than traditional schools. Many parents overlooked various issues because Chinese school was all they could afford. In our city, Chinese preschools now charge between $1,200 and $1,800 per month. Even with these tuition rates, you will still find hygiene and safety concerns, low staffing levels, and questionable business practices.

There are few Chinese schools available, and parents are often hesitant to speak up when problems arise. As a result, some school owners don’t feel the pressure to make changes or improvements. Many of these owners are unqualified to operate childcare facilities but see the demand for Chinese language education as a business opportunity. Perhaps some of them started with good intentions, but later realized how demanding it is to run a school properly.

Another issue I’ve encountered with Chinese schools is that my kids have not learned much Mandarin there. At all the schools we’ve toured, the primary language used to communicate with students has been English. Both of my children speak fluent Mandarin at their age level and without any noticeable accent, yet teachers continue to speak to them in English despite my repeated requests that they use Mandarin only.

In our area, most of the students at these schools speak Cantonese and attend Mandarin immersion programs as a way to transition into the American school system. The director of my daughter’s preschool even hired an English-speaking teacher in response to other parents’ demands.

What Can You Do as a Parent?

Learn more about licensing requirements

Parents can learn more about their state’s licensing requirements to ensure children’s health and safety at school. For schools that require a license, the license must be posted in a prominent, publicly accessible location.

California parents, check if your preschool has a license to operate, or if there have been any formal complaints or citations filed against it by searching the CDSS directory. If your child attends a Chinese after-school program, you can use the Heritage School Registration Form Search Page. Here is a link to the California Code of Regulations for child care centers.

Regardless of state, minimum licensing requirements apply to ALL programs serving children.

Hold Schools and Programs Accountable

When I first shared the experiences, people were shocked, outraged, and even mentioned taking legal action. Once they learn it’s a Chinese-owned business, the reaction is generally the same: “Oh, it’s a Chinese school?” As if that means it’s ok or expected. Even my husband said, “What did you expect from a Chinese school?”

What do I expect? What do all parents expect when they trust their children with a school or day care? Parents expect their children to be safe! How can we ensure our children will be safe? Ask your school if they have the proper license to operate. Bring up any licensing violations to the owner. File a report if no action is taken to correct violations.

Many parents don’t know that if an injury happens at school, they are required to provide parents with an incident report, even for a scrape or bruise. For major injuries, the school must also report the incident to the proper state department.

California parents, here is a link to file an anonymous complaint or report any violations at a school.

Share Your Story

After sharing what happened to my son, other parents reached out to me privately to share their incidents that they were not comfortable sharing publicly.

Parents, what are you scared of? Do you think if you speak out against one Chinese school, your kids might be blacklisted from all Chinese schools? Is it survivor’s guilt? I get it. I had the worst mommy guilt. I blamed myself for selecting a bad school. But let’s be clear: the business owner of the school is responsible for staying up to date on regulations and ensuring the safety of the students.