Two Schools I Have Attended

Comparison and contrast are processes of showing how similar or different things are. A person can compare and contrast various objects, people, places, situations etc. This paper analyzes the two Chinese schools that I have attended to find similarities and differences between them. These two schools are Shanghai Livingston American School and Hong Qiao International School also known as Rainbow Bridge International School. In this paper, such aspects as the schools’ peculiarities, fee payment policies, refund policies, school uniforms, and transportation system are compared and contrasted.

Situated in Shanghai, Shanghai Livingston American School is an international school that was established by Bob Livingston in 2001. Bob Livingston is a former Congressman who obtained permission to build schools in the cities where the U.S. had a Consulate. These schools offer the American education system. Shanghai Livingston American School is named after its creator, Bob Livingstone, and the place of its location. Currently, the school is one of the best private schools in Shanghai that provide students with good American education.

Hong Qiao International School is an international private school located in Gubei, Shanghai. Some years ago the school was also called Rainbow Bridge International School; however, in January 2012, it changed its name to Hong Qiao International School to highlight the fact that students of different nationalities attend it. Moreover, Hong Qiao International School previously had its campus near the Shanghai Zoo. When the school opened in 1997, there were only two classes that served eighteen preschool children. Since that time, the number of students has significantly increased, and Hong Qiao International School became an International Baccalaureate World school in 2012. Currently, it is allowed to teach the Primary Years Program. As the school saw the massive development in 2012, it moved its campuses to Yili Lu and Guyang Lu. The aim of Hong Qiao International School is to increase students’ knowledge and develop their skills. The school emphasizes the importance and necessity of life-long learning. It encourages students to continue learning and discovering new things throughout their lives.

When I attended Hong Qiao International School, I realized that Shanghai Livingston American School was very different from this school. First of all, their school bus services are different. Shanghai Livingston American School provides a door-to-door school bus service program. As a rule, bus fares are included in tuition fees. The cost per student for each semester is 6,500 RMB. However, in order to use school bus services, students’ houses should be located within the existing bus routes. In case students do not reside within these routes, they should take other buses, taxis etc. In contrast to Shanghai Livingston American School, in Hong Qiao International School, the cost of school bus services is 7,200 RMB per semester. Moreover, in this school, parents are allowed to buy either a round-trip ticket or a one-way one for their children. A student who uses a one-way ticket is required to pay only 3,600 RMB. In addition, unlike Shanghai Livingston American School, the bus routes in this school are not fixed. They can be changed depending on the location of students’ houses.

Another aspect different in both schools is the payment of tuition fees. In Shanghai Livingston American School, all fees should be paid before the beginning of each school semester. Students are allowed to attend the school only when all fees are paid. Moreover, new students who come in the middle of the semester should pay all tuition fees for the current month. As a rule, these fees cover all the costs of school materials such as textbooks, writing materials, teaching aids etc. The administration of Shanghai Livingston American School reserves the right to change the amount of fees without prior notice. In contrast, in Hong Qiao International School, parents can pay tuition fees after the beginning of the new semester. There is a deadline that indicates how much time parents have to pay the semester’s fees. Parents who make payment after a deadline are charged extra 1.5% per month. While going to Hong Qiao International School, I also noticed that when new students started attending the school in the middle of the semester, the tuition fees were calculated on a monthly pro-rated basis.

If a student withdraws from Hong Qiao International School before 1 July, the fees paid for the semester will be returned to parents except for the application fee and non-refundable cancellation fee. Similar to this school, Shanghai Livingston American School also refunds money if a written notification is given two months before the refund date. In case parents have paid fees for the entire year, a refund is made for the remaining months. However, unlike Hong Qiao International School, Shanghai Livingstone School does not charge any cancellation fee if a student wants to leave the school.

One more aspect that should be compared is a school uniform. A school uniform reinforces positive behavior and helps to instill a sense of equity into students. Moreover, it contributes to the ethos of the school. In Shanghai Livingston American School, students should wear a uniform that consists of a blue or white polo shirt. A uniform should be worn during the whole school day.

Additionally, students should wear black and blue bottoms. While attending this school, I was also allowed to wear blue jeans not containing any logos and holes. Furthermore, wearing sweaters, shorts, and any other clothes that do not have the school logo is prohibited. All clothes should be clean as well as fresh. Similar to this school, students of Hong Qiao International School should also wear a uniform consisting of a green polo shirt and tees. However, during different events, students can wear shirts they want, but they should correspond to the event. The school allows students to wear khaki or olive colored pants. The same colors are used for skirts and shorts that are supposed to be knee-length. Spring, winter, and autumn jackets can be of green, gray, and black colors.

In conclusion, Shanghai Livingston American School and Hong Qiao International School have both similarities and differences. Firstly, Hong Qiao International School offers an international education program, while Shanghai Livingston American School provides students with an American education program. Secondly, the fee payment policies are stricter in Shanghai Livingston American School than in Hong Qiao International School. The latter offers students a chance to continue studying without paying before the beginning of the new semester. In contrast, students of Shanghai Livingston American School are not allowed to attend the school unless all tuition fees are paid. Thirdly, both schools provide bus services for their students. In Shanghai Livingston American School, the bus routes are fixed, while in Hong Qiao International School bus routes can be changed according to the location of students’ houses. Lastly, both schools have uniforms that help to make all students equal. The main colors of Shanghai Livingston American School’s uniform are blue, white, and black. In contrast, Hong Qiao International School prefers green, olive, gray, and black colors. Although there are many similarities between these two schools, differences outweigh them.

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