Beijing BISS International School

Beijing BISS International School was founded in 1994 and was established through links with the International School of Singapore (ISS); it was among the first international schools in Beijing to receive official approval and to offer all three IB programmes. Over its history the school served a diverse expatriate population and operated as an independent, proprietary international school. BISS experienced serious financial difficulties that became public in 2018, including unpaid staff wages and a temporary suspension of operations, and the school later went through changes in management and attempts to restart enrolment in the early 2020s. In 2022–2023 the school's finances and operating status attracted further media attention and public debate in Beijing.

Historically BISS's student body drew from a wide range of nationalities and the campus was often described by local observers as a small “United Nations” in the neighbourhood, reflecting the school's expatriate community. Families, staff and volunteers have run cultural and community activities on campus and in the surrounding area; these activities have included international cultural celebrations, volunteer-run fundraisers and other parent-led events. During periods of institutional difficulty parents and volunteers played visible roles supporting students and maintaining school routines.

Parents at BISS have historically organised through informal and formal parent committees (家委会) and volunteer groups rather than a single centralized PTA office. Reports and school-community accounts describe parent volunteers running charity sales and other fundraisers, organising practical support for events, and helping maintain order during important exam periods for graduating students. During the 2018 crisis and subsequent years parent groups also coordinated support and communications with the school community. These parent-led activities focused on student welfare, community fundraising, and ad hoc event organisation rather than large-scale, institutionally run booster programmes. Because much of this activity was organised locally by families and published in community reports, specific leadership structures and yearly programmes have varied over time.