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High school exchange program in China
Live and study at a Chinese school for a semester or a school year.
Set off to discover China – a new life at the heart of a fascinating country.
The school year in China
Spending a year abroad in China means discovering a country where tradition and modernity coexist in everyday life. From bustling cities and traditional neighbourhoods to breathtaking landscapes and a diverse cuisine, every day offers the chance to discover something new. Studying in China also means immersing yourself in the local culture and improving your Chinese through lessons and new encounters.
But the experience doesn’t stop at school. By living with a host family, you’ll share in their daily life, discover their traditions and gain a better understanding of Chinese customs. Both at school and outside it, you’ll be immersed in a different environment, which will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and become more independent.
Going to China is therefore much more than just learning a language: it’s about experiencing true cultural immersion, broadening your world view and returning home with a unique experience. So why not give it a go?
Why go to China to study for a semester or an academic year?
Chinese traditions
Chinese New Year, traditional festivals, lanterns, family meals… In China, traditions are part of everyday life. By experiencing them first-hand with your host family, you’ll discover their true meaning something you simply can’t grasp by observing them from abroad.
What’s school like in China?
An immersion in everyday life
During the week, you’ll follow the school routine whilst staying in a boarding house with other Chinese pupils. At weekends and during the holidays, you’ll stay with your Chinese host family and share in their daily life. It’s a complete immersion into the life of a Chinese teenager, both at school and at home.
A very community-oriented school life
In China, school life revolves largely around group activities. Whether it’s lessons, meals, activities or downtime, you’ll spend a large part of your day with the same classmates. It’s a great way to form bonds quickly and discover what everyday life is like for young Chinese people.
A rhythm that’s not like yours
Busy days, study time and different timetables: the pace of school life in China can be a bit of a surprise at first. You’ll discover a different way of working often more structured and will quickly learn to organise yourself.
Much more than just lessons
Sport, music, the arts, clubs or school-organised activities: Chinese schools also offer plenty of opportunities to get out and about beyond the classroom. It’s the perfect way to spend time with your classmates and discover new activities.
A wonderful country to explore – let yourself be surprised during the school exchange
Choose authenticity and let yourself go! Trust WEP to help you find your place to be.
With the Classic School Programme, you’ll enjoy the authentic high school experience the one that WEP has been offering since its inception. You could be placed anywhere in the country, depending on where the family who has chosen you to share in this incredible life experience lives.
Can be installed anywhere in the country
A term or a school year
Boarding school accommodation during the week and placement with a host family at the weekend
School in China
Find out what’s in store for you during your school programme
In China, compulsory education lasts for nine years and is divided between primary school and lower secondary school. After these years of compulsory education, pupils can go on to upper secondary school, usually for three years, before sitting the famous Gaokao, the national university entrance examination. The Chinese education system is renowned for its fast pace and the emphasis placed on hard work and academic results.
If you choose China for your semester or academic year, you’ll be immersed in the day-to-day life of a real Chinese secondary school. Lessons, meals in the canteen, school activities, time spent with classmates and sometimes even a school uniform: you’ll discover a school life very different from the one you’re used to. It’s the perfect immersion to gain an inside understanding of how young Chinese people live and study!
The education system in China
Secondary education in China lasts three years:
- Year 10 – Gao yi (aged 15–16)
- Year 11 – Gao er (aged 16–17)
- Year 12 – Gao san (aged 17–18)
International students who go to spend a term or an academic year in China usually join one of these three years, depending on their age, their level of Chinese and their academic background.
Classes
In China, the school year usually begins in early September and ends in late June or early July. It is divided into two terms, with a long winter break around the Chinese New Year and a summer holiday. The exact dates may vary slightly depending on the school and the region.
As for public holidays, certain festivals are particularly important and mark key points in the school year. The perfect opportunity to discover Chinese traditions first-hand with your host family and new friends.
Here are some of the main festivals:
- New Year’s Day, 1 January, to mark the start of the year.
- Chinese New Year, between January and February according to the lunar calendar, the biggest family celebration of the year.
- Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming), in early April, a day dedicated to honouring ancestors.
- Labour Day, on 1 May, with several days off.
- Dragon Boat Festival, in May or June, celebrated in particular with traditional zongzi.
- ** Mid-Autumn Festival*, in September or October, an occasion to share *moon cakes with the family.
- National Day, 1 October, marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China and giving rise to several days off.
- Christmas, which is not a traditional Chinese festival but is becoming increasingly popular in major cities and amongst young people.
The school calendar and public holidays
In China, marks are generally given out of 100. During your school exchange, you will discover a grading system that differs from the one you are used to, with a strong emphasis on academic performance.
Generally speaking:
- 90–100 indicates an excellent result
- 80–89 very good
- 70–79 good
- 60–69 is a pass
- Below 60 is a fail
Results do not depend solely on exams. Depending on the school and the subject, homework, tests, classwork, class participation and end-of-term exams may also form part of the assessment.
A chance to discover a different way of learning and to adapt to a new academic routine!
Grades in China
At school, you’ll study core subjects such as Chinese, maths, English, science and history. Depending on your school and your programme, you’ll also have the chance to explore other subjects and activities, particularly in sport, the arts or technology.
What’s the main difference compared to the Belgian school system? The pace and organisation of lessons. School days are generally well-structured and place a strong emphasis on work and academic results.
During your exchange, you’ll above all have the chance to discover a different way of learning and improving your Chinese by being immersed in the language on a daily basis.
Subjects in China
Chinese schools also offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, covering sport, culture and leisure. Depending on your school, you’ll be able to take part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, football, swimming or martial arts, as well as join clubs for music, drama, calligraphy or photography.
Some schools also organise cultural festivals, sports competitions, performances and school events throughout the year. This is the perfect opportunity to try out new activities, spend time with your classmates and make new friends quickly.
Attending a Chinese school therefore also means learning outside the classroom, discovering new passions and fully experiencing the everyday life of young people in China.
Examples of extracurricular activities
In China, get ready to discover subjects and activities that you might not usually do at home: calligraphy, art, music, IT, sport, science and even foreign languages – not to mention the essentials such as Chinese, maths, English and history. It’s the perfect opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, try new things and perhaps discover some new passions along the way!
Examples of lessons
Going with WEP is best
Since 1988, a wide choice of destinations and comprehensive assistance before, during and after your overseas program. WEP is the ideal partner for your big overseas adventure.
Like you, we also get to choose who we travel with: our schools, host families and overseas partner organisations are carefully selected.
We offer a custom-made insurance policy, specifically designed for our participants, and we have a solid network behind us.
Emergency assistance, overseas and from Australia, is available 7 days out of 7, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Allowing all our participants to live their desired overseas experience is a mission, a challenge we're thrilled to accept.
FAQ
Your host family, local coordinator and your host organisation will provide you with support while you are overseas. WEP Australia will remain in contact with the host organisation and your parents to coordinate and support your experience. In case of an emergency, both you and your family will be able to call an emergency phone number that is answered 24/7.
You will be advised of your placement location, host family and host school as soon as feasible. This can range from a few months prior to departure, right up until departure, as a lot needs to happen behind the scenes before each student's placement process is complete and can be communicated to you with certainty. The placement process doesn't only include sourcing a suitable host family, but also finding availability at a local school, and completing all red tape (including, for example, lenghty criminal history checks in some countries). Prior to departure from Australia, all students will receive host family, host school and local coordinator details.
Independent travel is not permissible while on exchange. However, you will be able to travel with your host family, school, host organisation and other community groups such as sporting teams or scouts. Again, the foremost aim of the program is educational, and your priority for any holiday periods must be your host family, who will be investing a lot of time, energy and money into this experience - simply in return for your frienship and positive contribution to their household.
Generally speaking, overseas schools won't issue a diploma to exchange students who are only there for a short time and don't graduate at that school. You may however be provided with a honorary certificate, as well as a WEP certificate of completion, which however don't count towards credit or graduation in Australia.
Language experience is desirable, but not necessary, for most countries. However, some countries have mandatory language requirements. You'll find the specific requirements for each country listed on its page. Intensive language courses may, in some circumstances, meet language pre-requisites. WEP strongly recommends language preparation prior to departure as language knowledge is of enormous benefit in assisting you to quickly adapt to your new family, school and life.
Of course, there are English-speaking destinations available if you are not interested in learning another language.
No, it's the host families who choose the student they wish to invite into their home. Based on the documents you will submit as part of your WEP application, one lucky family will choose to open their home and hearts to you, which is why for all Exchange Classic programs, and many Flex programs as well, there is no avenue for students to choose a specific location.
It may be possible to live with an overseas family that you already know (excluding relatives of the student). However, the family will have to be screened and approved, prepared and supported by our partner organisation in the same manner as any other host family. School enrolment must also be available.
More questions?