Congratulations! All the best in your new position!

This is really sad for all concerned. I work at another school in Shanghai and the students and teachers who have come over from there are top notch. Seems like they had a great programme. The kids are (on the whole) polite and knowledgeable and have fitted in well. What a shame. Good for our school but what a pity. I really feel for them all.

I think the OP has some interesting observations to share from their perspective. I have been here for 2.5 years in Shanghai, and I would have to say the main reasons for myself not enjoying it are the pollution (so bad at times that the students have to stay inside for sometimes a week at a time during playtimes) and the lack of transparency over food regulations. It worries me eating here- I don't mean to sound paranoid but if you believe things you read about dyeing or bleaching food, adding colours to meat, vegetables, fruit, the state of the soil that things grow in, the cloning of pigs, the chemicals and hormones they add to food to make it look more appealing, it becomes a bit of a worry. We order from Fields, which is a company that sources its food from "safer" farms and has organic meat, and we eat imported food mainly- but be warned this is costly. I am not an obsessive person but I do worry about my kids' health. The upside to being here is we can save pretty well (live on one wage and send the other home) and my school is great, so I enjoy my work. We have explored a bit around Shanghai and beyond and enjoy the cheap metro/train system and there is some cool stuff to see. I have to say that I am lazy at learning Mandarin and that my few phrases and words have gotten me by so far. I still haven't gotten used to the spitting, pooing etc but figure it's all part of the experience. We are signed on another year but not sure after that.

Hi at my school in China there are some families in your situation, and housing, uniforms and tuition are covered for the three kids, but only one child is covered for flights. Your deal sounds very good if all three kids are covered.

Hi as Shadowjack mentioned, check if you can get your meds in the new place, and if you can, also check the cost. My friend gets theirs in their home country, a years supply, as they were so expensive here and there he can get it on prescription for a fraction of the cost. Also the health insurance wouldn't cover it here.

My husband and I are at a two-tier school in Shanghai (I think it is 2+). Our salaries are between 18,000 and 25,000 RMB per month - but I have many years experience so started up the pay scale, and school pays housing, school fees, health insurance, flights once a year plus a bonus after 3 years. We send all my money home and live off my husband's salary. We don't live extravagantly, but we do buy imported food and wine, and live pretty well- a family of four on one wage. We don't go out much though as we have young kids. Good luck with your decision!