School courses prep pupils for life abroad

More high school students in Beijing are being enrolled in special courses to prepare them for study at overseas universities.

City schools have introduced first-year classes for teenagers who plan to skip the gaokao (national college entrance examination) and head abroad.

Roughly 500 parents flocked to Beijing No 4 High School last Saturday to discuss a new three-year course that will prepare children to apply for institutions in the United States and Canada, as well as other countries. Just 60 students will be able to enroll.