A school that can teach the world a lesson

Students have supper at a dining hall in Sihai Confucius Shu Yuan, a residential Chinese school in Wenquan village near Daoxianghu Park/Fragrant Hills, in Beijing's northwest Haidian district.[Siva Sankar/China Daily]

A sprawling, picturesque residential Chinese school called Sihai Confucius Shu Yuan is populated by children in the 4-18 age-group who appear out of this world: polite, utterly well-mannered, quiet, charming, courteous, yet playful.

And studious too, given to reading books rather than playing mobile games or watching TV even on a Sunday evening, and even while lining up outside the dinner hall.