My son had been a happy preschooler enjoying a Western holistic approach to learning until Monday, when he started to attend a local public primary school.

For the past three years, his life at an international kindergarten had revolved around endless fun activities that reflected the ideal of learning through play. More than once I asked his teachers if they had quantifiable targets for the children's language and numeracy skills, and was told such expectations were more appropriate for the results-oriented local system.

But my son really enjoyed the easy pace of such an environment. He often got up early to be the first one to show up in his class. In the evening, he and his classmates stayed on the small playground as late as they were allowed to. We were also accustomed to the high turnover of teachers, common in international schools, thinking it could expose him to more people and experiences.