"Which country are you from?" "How is the climate in your country?" "What are buildings like in your country?" "Do you know why buildings are built in this way in such a climate?"
"Do you know what materials are used for construction in your country?" "Are they natural or artificial?" "What are the answers from your classmates?" "Why are there so many variable answers?"
In a class for grade one pupils at the Beijing City International School (BCIS), a teacher leaves these questions with his students for research.
After class, the children turn to the school's library resources - a collection of 15,000 books from around the world - for answers. With the help of library assistants, they try to find the answers by searching websites in classrooms or asking their parents at home .
This fragment of life at BCIS illustrates the international school's philosophy for early childhood education - providing a framework that gives crucial support to children to become active learners and inquirers.
The school offers Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB).
The program, designed for students aged 3 to 12 years, focuses on the comprehensive growth of a child, touching hearts as well as minds and encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development.
BCIS provides an ideal environment to encourage children's exploration, investigation and play, both indoors and outdoors, as well as to learn about themselves, other people and the world around them, according to the school.
Situated in the Central Business District, one of the biggest international school in Beijing covers 51,000 sq m of land and can accommodate 1,600 students from around the world.
At present, BCIS has students coming from 50 nations worldwide, 40 percent of whom from Asia, 40 percent from North America and Europe and the rest from other regions.
The faculty, which also reflects this international character of the school, shares a passion for teaching.
Tamara Jannink, a biology and math teacher from the Netherlands, who chose to work at BCIS because of its innovative and enthusiastic approach to learning, said: "I enjoy BCIS because there is a feeling that anything is possible."
"We are shaping the school with our unique mix of cultures, our creativity and the newest insights into how the mind learns."
Being one of only two international schools worldwide to be given the title of Model Education Olympic School by the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, BCIS integrates Olympic education into their existing programs.
BCIS students have created a network covering 35 schools across all continents to share the Olympic message.
As one of the first Chinese-invested international schools, BCIS values its role as a showcase of Chinese traditional culture. Traditional-style architecture, cultural classes and closer links with the local community, all offer BCIS students more opportunities to enhance their learning experience in China.
BCIS is currently authorized to offer the Diploma Program, designed for students aged 16 to 19 years, and also has a candidate status for the Middle Years Program for 11 to 16 year olds, in addition to being PYP candidates.
What's more, the nursery program of BCIS is in the pipeline which will be expected to open in January 2008.
Source: China Daily
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