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Chinese Ownership of 17 private schools in Uk

87 replies

dipdips · 21/02/2021 07:13

I know this was in the Daily Fail but is there any truth in it? Are these schools really spreading propaganda or is this a bit of sensationalism? Anyone have a child at these schools and can refute this, they don’t seem to have asked parents their opinions!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9282617/British-private-institutions-bought-Chinese-firms.html

OP posts:
orangeblosssom · 21/02/2021 07:38

Please do not read that paper.

Legoninjago1 · 21/02/2021 07:41

Why is there a picture of Wellington? I can't see it mentioned in the text or maybe I've missed it?

dipdips · 21/02/2021 07:42

I know it is dreadful - especially as they have bought Farage in for a long quote! I am interested in this however - why do Chinese companies invest in Brisith ‘charities’. What do they get out of it? Presumably not profit as they are charities so why do they invest - makes the accusation of spreading ‘propaganda’ slightly more credible but I still find it very hard to believe that sort of teaching would get past inspections?

OP posts:
dipdips · 21/02/2021 07:43

British!

OP posts:
dipdips · 21/02/2021 07:44

@Legoninjago1 might be the Daily Fail using a photo of well known school to draw readers in even though no relevance!!

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dipdips · 21/02/2021 07:50

@Legoninjago1 I just reread it and the Wellington reference is about Confucius classrooms - you can see here which schools host these here
freetibet.org/take-action/confucius/locations

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TheNorthWind · 21/02/2021 07:55

No, they are not spreading communist propaganda and there are no reds under the bed. How extensively were you taught Chinese history at school? (I don't recall it ever being mentioned at mine.)

Generally, these are schools that would have closed. In one case at least, even had closed and was reopened. The investment came from China, but the head teachers and almost all of the staff do not.

I'm not sure exactly what the benefit is if they can't draw a profit. I would be interested to know the answer, but it's just curiosity. I don't feel menaced.

TheNorthWind · 21/02/2021 07:57

I still find it very hard to believe that sort of teaching would get past inspections?

You are correct. It wouldn't.

Iggly · 21/02/2021 07:57
  1. this is old news
  2. spread by Farage to whip up hate
  3. why are you posting this? To continue to stir hate?
Primroze · 21/02/2021 07:58

OP you'll get a better response if you put the school names in the thread title. I don't suppose most people know who owns their child's private school or have even thought about it. Even people who are interested enough to click on your link would have to scroll to the end of a very long article, past lots of adverts, to find some names.

MangoFeverDream · 21/02/2021 07:59

@orangeblosssom

Please do not read that paper.
Why not? Comment on the article, not the source.

Btw there is a related problem at universities that operate a Confucius Institute wrt academic freedom.

MangoFeverDream · 21/02/2021 08:01

@Iggly

1) this is old news 2) spread by Farage to whip up hate 3) why are you posting this? To continue to stir hate?
Using ‘stirring up hate’ to dodge a critical conversation, right?

There are very sensitive topics that China tries to shut down. Like, could these campuses host a talk by a controversial figure like the Dalai Lama? Probably not.

Iggly · 21/02/2021 08:01

Because it’s a paper which deliberately spreads lies and whips up racist rhetoric.

MangoFeverDream · 21/02/2021 08:03

@Iggly

Because it’s a paper which deliberately spreads lies and whips up racist rhetoric.
Why don’t you tell us the lies in this particular article instead?
dipdips · 21/02/2021 08:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Iggly · 21/02/2021 08:09

I don’t mind reading about balanced reporting and about schools being bought.

The issue for me is that the daily mail is only interested in this because it’s the “Chinese” - and Farage is also bleating on about it.

That’s the underlying racist rhetoric for me.

If it’s reported in a different news source, then absolutely, happy to read about it 🤷🏻‍♀️

Iggly · 21/02/2021 08:10

What am I interested in?

I’m interested in the absolute decimation of our public sector, the successful attempts of governments to blame everyone and not take responsibility and the continued wealth hoarding by the small privileged elite.

dipdips · 21/02/2021 08:13

@Iggly I do get that about the paper hence my nickname for it - I had gone to the mail online to see if there was any news on Prince Phillip as for all their sins they are usually first with the big news (glad to see nothing their so hoping he is doing better.) and this caught my eye and I am genuinely fascinated to know why Chinese investors buy failing schools if there is no profit to be had, I just hadn’t realised it was a ‘thing’.

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Nathbiker · 21/02/2021 08:14

@dipdips most of the schools that have been purchased are no longer charities, so they are viable businesses, hence the investment, there will be a return for the investors and profit can be made. This would be part of the motivation to buy. There’s a few isolated examples where Chinese companies have just ‘donated’ to keep a school afloat as a charitable, going concern.

Bournemouth Collegiate, for example (which happens to be an excellent school by the way), is part of Chinese parent company ‘Bright Scholar’ and the business(es) are registered as companies not charities.

The Chinese business community has been charged with investing everywhere around the globe, why not independent education? A British Education, in China, is seen as the best, highly regarded and a status symbol should you manage to afford it to your child.

I don’t think there’s any malice in their investment, it’s just a ‘daily fail’ article.

dipdips · 21/02/2021 08:14

Awful phone typing excuse mistakes.
I share many of your interests it turns out!

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MangoFeverDream · 21/02/2021 08:15

@Iggly

I don’t mind reading about balanced reporting and about schools being bought.

The issue for me is that the daily mail is only interested in this because it’s the “Chinese” - and Farage is also bleating on about it.

That’s the underlying racist rhetoric for me.

If it’s reported in a different news source, then absolutely, happy to read about it 🤷🏻‍♀️

Attack the article, not the source.

The DM is actually decent at reporting things that other news media won’t touch, like the trans issue. And apparently, on academic freedom.

dipdips · 21/02/2021 08:15

@Nathbiker that makes more sense now, sorry I thought all fee paying schools were charities my mistake.

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Letsleepingdogslie8 · 21/02/2021 08:18

How is this ‘worse’ than the 100s (possibly 1000s) of British schools around the world that teach using the British system rather than the local? Surely that could be viewed as ‘spreading British propaganda’?

MangoFeverDream · 21/02/2021 08:19

[quote Nathbiker]@dipdips most of the schools that have been purchased are no longer charities, so they are viable businesses, hence the investment, there will be a return for the investors and profit can be made. This would be part of the motivation to buy. There’s a few isolated examples where Chinese companies have just ‘donated’ to keep a school afloat as a charitable, going concern.

Bournemouth Collegiate, for example (which happens to be an excellent school by the way), is part of Chinese parent company ‘Bright Scholar’ and the business(es) are registered as companies not charities.

The Chinese business community has been charged with investing everywhere around the globe, why not independent education? A British Education, in China, is seen as the best, highly regarded and a status symbol should you manage to afford it to your child.

I don’t think there’s any malice in their investment, it’s just a ‘daily fail’ article.[/quote]
On the investment side, there’s huge money in selling the experience of a ‘British boarding school’ to wealthy Chinese families. Also could spawn a whole chain of related industries in China to ‘prep’ kids for possible entry.

Iggly · 21/02/2021 08:19

@MangoFeverDream I’m not going to legitimise a newspaper which has roots in the facist movement and has recently had some appalling misleading headlines when it comes to immigration, for example.

Having a tiny splash of decent reporting amongst a sea of hate is not good enough for me I’m afraid 🤷🏻‍♀️ Why can’t they apply those standards to all of their outputs?

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