In Depth: How an Acclaimed Education Experiment in Beijing Ended Up on the Brink

On the newly renovated campus of ETU Enlighten School, the laughter of a dozen students playing on a crisp early winter day belies a profound crisis. Inside, their teachers are waiting on months of unpaid salaries. The school’s cofounder is barred from the premises. And a celebrated experiment in Chinese private education is on the verge of collapse.