OneSmart International Education : Unveils New Premium Brand Positioning for Young Children’s Educational Products

On December 20, 2020, OneSmart International Education Group Limited (NYSE: ONE) ('OneSmart' or the 'Company'), the leading premium K-12 after-school education services provider in China, held a press conference at The Peninsula Shanghai to launch its New Premium Young Children's Educational Products. At the press conference, OneSmart unveiled the upgraded new premium products of HappyMath Practical Math Program (PMP), and FasTrack English MBA Kids' English, both offering the best-in-class Mathematics and English courses respectively, catered for children in China. Harvard Scholar and world-renowned futurist Dr. John Naisbitt, and his wife, Mrs. Doris Naisbitt, a well-known expert on youth development and education, and Dr. Ding Yanqing, associate professor and doctoral supervisor at the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, were among the distinguished guests who delivered their keynote speeches at the press conference.

At the beginning of the event, Dr. John Naisbitt and his wife read a letter titled, 'The most valuable investment in life', which emphasized on the importance of investing in education by highlighting that 'the best investment in life is an excellent education' at the end of the letter. The Naisbitts also elaborated on the influence of multiple abilities such as language and thinking on people's lives, suggesting that parents should start their children's training as early as possible from childhood. After the speeches, Mr. Guoqing Cai, a famous Chinese musician, who represented the parents of OneSmart's young children's education brands, Mr. Steve Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OneSmart, Ms. Lu Xu, President of the Young Children's Business Group of OneSmart, and Mr. Tuanwei Shi, Chief Technology Officer of OneSmart, participated in panel discussions on ideas and methodology of young children's education for future development.

Dr. Ding Yanqing, associate professor and doctoral supervisor at the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, gave a speech on the topic of 'How to inspire children's language learning and thinking skills.' He pointed out that children at the age of 3 to 6 are at the 'Preoperational Stage' of their cognitive development. The Situational Language Teaching method can help children understand abstract Maths and English, and is a more suitable teaching method for young children.

Representing the parents of OneSmart's young children's education brands, Mr. Guoqing Cai, a popular Chinese musician shared his insights on children's education. Mr. Cai mentioned in his speech that he is very cautious about decisions related to his children and would deliberate at length before participating in TV programs with his son, such as 'Where Are You Going, Dad?', 'National Treasure', and 'Classic Odes'. What he treasures most are programs that inspire and bring growth to children.

This advice is especially true when parents are deciding on the right educational institution for our children. Mr. Guoqing Cai commented, 'We have entered into the era of lifelong learning, it is very important for children to develop the habit of active learning and like learning from an early age. This requires the joint efforts of parents, schools, and educational institutions. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find premium educational institutions, so as parents, we should try out best to help our children learn better with the right private tutoring service.'

'Qingqing was first place in the exams for Chinese, Mathematics and English for his grade level. Recently, he and his team also won the group championship in an international robotics competition.' Mr. Cai continued, 'Qingqing achieved these remarkable feats thanks to his learning experience at OneSmart's premium HappyMath program, which he started at the age of 3. The nurturing environment complemented by the well-designed and engaging curriculum helped Qingqing discover the joy of learning, as he developed good learning habits.'

It is not easy to find a good educational institution that truly understands how to empower children through education. As a long standing educational institution, OneSmart has accumulated extensive experience in developing children's learning abilities. In his speech, Mr. Steve Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OneSmart, highlighted the importance of fostering lifelong Power Learning. He elaborated that early childhood is the most important time to develop a child's Power Learning ability. Meanwhile, he also shared how he successfully applied the Harvard Case Study teaching methodology into young childhood education.

At the focal point of the event, OneSmart officially launched its premium VIP brand for young children's education, including the premium products of HappyMath Practical Math Program ('PMP') and FasTrack English MBA Kids' English. Mr. Zhang explains, 'HappyMath PMP focuses on developing children's intellectual skills for 12 years. Using 7 key learning habits, the program cultivates a child's love for thinking and interest in mathematics from an early age. Jointly developed by Harvard researchers, FastTrack English MBA Kids' English helps children learn English by creating an immersive language learning environment while developing their abilities in the '5Cs' - confidence, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication, which will help them grow up to become future CEOs.'

The premium products of HappyMath Practical Math Program and FasTrack English MBA Kids' English will further enhance the premium brand positioning of OneSmart's young children's educational products.

• In terms of educational concepts, the brand positioning of OneSmart's premium young children's education was developed by educators from Harvard University and Peking University, and has been integrated into the world-renowned Harvard Case Study teaching methodology for young children, and is increasingly gaining popularity among elite Chinese families.
• In terms of the teaching faculty, the premium PMP is taught by a strong team of teachers certified by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the foreign-trained teachers at the premium MBA Kids' English are all native English speakers from North America and Europe, and are trained to facilitate well-planned interactive learning experiences in small group sessions.
• In terms of curriculum, the premium PMP develops children's abilities to apply mathematical skills by designing immersive learning scenarios and using innovative Intellectual Teaching Tools; the premium MBA Kids' English cultivates children's skills of the '5Cs' through creative class activities such as 'Little CEO Circle' and 'Round-table Teaching.'

At the conference, Frost & Sullivan, an authoritative and independent global market research firm, awarded OneSmart with the 'National Leading Brand' award for its premium HappyMath Practical Math Program. Mr. Tuanwei Shi, Chief Technology Officer of OneSmart, shared the efforts that OneSmart has made to help children develop better learning habits through technology.

During the panel discussions at the press conference, Ms. Zhou, a parent of a student at OneSmart, shared her child's development journey and experience from the MBA Kids' English. 'My husband and I have a master's degree in liberal arts and a PhD in science and engineering, respectively, so we have been in-charge of teaching our child English and Maths. But to learn better, we decided to send her to the FasTrack English course after careful consideration. Now my daughter's English language results are the best among all her subjects. It's certainly true that some things are best left to the professionals.'

The panel discussions also explored the topic of children's training goals. Mr. Guoqing Cai commented, 'Frankly, all my efforts to nurture my kid was not to make him a super scholar. I just want him to be an 'excellent ordinary person', who can create excellence in his ordinary life.' Mr. Cai's thoughts and insights on education resonated with experts, families and education practitioners present at the event. Mr. Guoqing Cai was invited by Ms. Lu Xu, President of the Young Children's Business Group of OneSmart, to be appointed as OneSmart's Chief Family Officer for young children's education brand and to provide parenting guidance for the 2 million elite families of OneSmart's students.

OneSmart's new premium products for young children's education fully meets the needs of China's middle-class and elite families, and also fills the gaps in the elite families' young children's education market. It also demonstrates that OneSmart's premium educational concepts and teaching methodologies are in line with international standards, establishing a new benchmark for young children's education in China.