试听61秒热点英语新闻2：国际学校涌入大湾区

In-Depth: Pandemic Proves a Boon for International Schools Setting Up Shop in South China

国际学校涌入大湾区

prestigious
adj. 受尊敬的, 有声望的, 有威信的

Respected and admired by people; having high status.
prestige n. 威望，声望；声誉

词组
prestigious honor 至高荣誉
high prestige 崇高威望，良好信誉

例句
It's one of the best equipped and most prestigious schools in the country.
它是该国设备最好、最有声望的学校之一。

It was his responsibility for foreign affairs that gained him international prestige.   
是他在外交事务中的尽职尽责为他赢得了国际声望。


franchise
n. 经销权；管辖权
v. 给…以特许

An authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities.
franchiser n. 经销商，代销商
disfranchise v. 剥夺…的权利

词组
franchise chain特许连锁
franchise rights 特许经营权

例句
In the reorganization, Southern Television lost their franchise.
在改组过程中，南方电视公司失去了特许经营权。
In Britain, women were given the franchise in 1918.
英国妇女于一九一八年获得了选举权。


flash in the pan
昙花一现，好景不长

a project, person, etc, that enjoys only short-lived success, notoriety, etc

例句
The low inflation rate will be no flash in the pan.
低通货膨胀率不会只是昙花一现。

其它与“平底锅”有关的词组
pan out 成功；结果；证明

If it pans out, the technology could spread fast.
如果这个实验项目成功的话，这项技术可能会迅速传播。

go down the pan 失败；泡汤

We don't want to see our business go down the pan.
我们不想看到自己的生意完蛋。


Amid Covid-19 travel restrictions and concerns about the contagion risks outside of the country, fewer wealthy Chinese parents are keen on sending their offspring abroad for an education.

Therefore, many affluent Chinese families are turning to such prestigious schools so their kids can still get a top-class education in an international environment. A lot of these parents are hoping such an education will give their children a big leg-up when they later apply to top Western universities.

Among the main beneficiaries are British household names like Harrow, Dulwich and Wellington. According to preliminary statistics from the UK Department for International Trade, the China-based campuses of such well-known franchises have trebled in number in the past five years alone.

Ok, so it’s great news for such fancy UK schools?

Well, it is also great news for their Chinese investors.

It seems a lot of these private schools are adopting so-called “management contract” system. This is when a Chinese partner invests in the facility’s construction and operations. Meanwhile while the British side assumes responsibility for ensuring academic quality and certain other issues.

OK, we previously reported on how a lot of things were heating up for international schools in the country’s south.

Yeah, that’s right. Demand for such an elite education seems to be surging in the mainland portion of the so-called Greater Bay Area. That’s an economic hub covering part of wealthy Guangdong province as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

A Caixin count found that 11 new international schools are due to open in the Bay Area tech hub of Shenzhen this year alone. The figure reflects the region’s flourishing market for global education, with 12 out of China’s 53 new international schools last year opening in that province. That’s according to data from NewSchool Insight Media, an educational service platform.

And, the competition to get your kid a place at such a school is getting more fierce. According to industry insiders, parents are snapping up places for their children as soon as they become available. One teacher at an international school in Shenzhen told Caixin that the institution was able to meet its target enrollment within just its first year of operation.

OK, here’s a question. What happens once the pandemic ends? Won’t a lot of these Chinese families then just think about sending their kids abroad to study?

Well, there’s reason to believe this development isn’t just a flash in the pan and could very well continue even once the global coronavirus crisis subsides. Jo Hawley, the British consul-general in Guangzhou, says that the uncertainties caused by the pandemic may make Chinese families more cautious about sending their children abroad for their schooling and prompt many of them to opt for domestic bilingual or international schools instead. She adds that this trend could in turn provide new opportunities for China’s international school market.