A group chaired by a “senior [Chinese Communist] Party member” owns and operates a Broward preschool. The Chesterbrook Academy Preschool in Coconut Creek is part of the Spring Education Group which is controlled by Primavera Capital Group. Fred Hu Zuliu is the chairman of Primavera Capital Group.
Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis suspended the use of school choice scholarships at Sagemont Preparatory in Weston for ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Sagemont is part of the Spring Education/Primavera Capital Group family.
REDBROWARD revealed Fred Hu wrote numerous pro-Chinese Communist Party editorials in the South China Morning Post newspaper. Published reports show Hu held multiple academic and business positions usually reserved for high-ranking members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The Financial Times said Fred Hu Zuilu, chairman of the Primavera Captial Group, was a “senior party member” of the CCP.
Based in Beijing, China, Primavera Capital Group purchased Spring Education Group in 2010. According to Mergr.com, it was Primavera’s first transaction in the United States. At the time, Spring Education operated, “227 schools in total under 28 brands and across 18 states and the District of Columbia.”
In 2019, New York parents were concerned about ties to China when Spring Education Group purchased charter schools in Brooklyn.
“One New York City parent said the purchase of the school by a group backed by Chinese investors raised questions about privacy of children’s personal data. ‘What does that mean for our kids’ school records and medical records?’ she asked. ‘Will they follow the rules?’”
In addition to the New York schools, the Chinese-owned Spring Education Group went on to buy “more than 238 schools with 41,000 students…. The schools are located in 18 states. Last year, the group, called Spring Education Group, purchased Nobel Learning. Before it purchased Nobel Learning, Spring Education Group purchased Stratford Schools, which operates for-profit private pre-schools, elementary schools, and middle schools in California.”
According to the Stratford Schools website, its students celebrate “Chinese Language Day.” The Stratford website lists the “many” benefits of learning Mandarin Chinese. These include brain power—“Research suggests that learning Chinese utilizes areas of the brain that other languages do not. Mandarin speakers engage a region of the brain that processes music by registering different pitches and tones, activating more and improving overall brain development.”
Stratford claims learning the Chinese language gives students an “edge” over others. The school claims it gives students “a cognitive, academic, and social edge in academic settings and beyond.”
Are the Primavera funded schools teaching Florida students about Chinese Language Day?
Unlike Sagemont Preparatory, Chesterbrook Academy is not part of the school choice scholarship program, which serves kindergarten through twelfth grade. Preschools can collect funding via the State’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program (VPK).
