BBC Four Commission 'Chinese Schools'

Lion Television has been commissioned by The Open University for BBC Four to produce 'Chinese Schools', a 5x60 minute observational documentary series, which will follow a group of families, teachers and children from Anhui, a small rural Chinese town, over the course of an academic year.
This series strengthens the great partnership between Lion and The Open University and follows on from the popular African Schools and Indian Schools, which captured the daily lives and concerns of the young pupils and their teachers.
Bill Locke, Series Editor for Lion Television, said: "Anhui is proud of two things - tea and teaching. Following the lives of some fascinating people from this small town, the series aims to explore the tough education system in China where success is the key to a better life for many but with such high stakes even the brightest children struggle to excel."
Lion has already established a reputation for producing high quality documentaries in China having previously made Atlas: China for Discovery; The First Emperor: The Man who made China and The Great Wall, both for C4 and Discovery.
Chinese Schools was commissioned by The Open University for BBC Four. The series will be produced and directed by Marcus Jones, Sarah Hamilton, Sarah Howitt, Daisy Newton-Dunn and Frankie Fathers. The series editor is Bill Locke for Lion Television.
It will be distributed by OU Worldwide.
(DS)