Zhou Hongxia thought the King’s Scholars classroom was cold and damp and rather dark. "It feels medieval and stuck in the past," she says. "I’m sure children that are not used to it will suffer at first. But if English children who studied here achieved so much then Chinese children can too."
Zhou – a wealthy businesswoman from central China, is eager to emulate Eton’s eminence and success in China.
Zhou and her friends have pooled their funds together and decided to launch elite private kindergartens. Then they want to continue in copies of esteemed schools such as Eton and Dulwich College.
For the moment it is only the pre-school education market that is allowed privatization.
IPS reports Zhou and her partners are convinced it is only a matter of time before the government allows an Eton to flourish in China as a private business.