Local schools vs International Schools

The4Ace

My daughter and my son are studying in two well sought-after local schools in Kowloon Tong.  They are in primary 6 and primary 5 respectively.  We are debating if they should stay with the local system or change over to international schools for better preparation for university education in UK/US and developing them into well-rounded persons.  Have any of you even had such kind of debate?  Would you please share your view?
For those who are pro international schools, what do you think about ESF schools, ISF, CIS and Harrows?
Thanks!

964000

原帖由 The4Ace 於 15-10-12 發表
My daughter and my son are studying in two well sought-after local schools in Kowloon Tong.  They ar ...

No offend, I think if you switch to IS at this stage, you might have missed the best part of IS already. Maybe another option would be to study in overseas boarding school to get a better transition to overseas uni.

yamin

原帖由 964000 於 15-10-12 發表
No offend, I think if you switch to IS at this stage, you might have missed the best part of IS alre ...

my husband and I got different views on whether local schools or international schools.  My kid is now K2. I prefer my kid study at local school because we are local chinese.  cantonese is our mother tongue.  I wonder if our language and culture could not support my kid to study at IS.  however,  my husband thought it would not be a problem as kids can adapt very well.   Do you think if language/culture  is a concern? You mentioned that changing from LS to IS at primary 5/6 is going to miss the best part of IS. Do you mean missing the best part of the curriculum or else?   Can you tell us more about that? I also think of letting my son study at local primary school and then change to international secondary schools.

shadeslayer

原帖由 964000 於 15-10-12 發表
No offend, I think if you switch to IS at this stage, you might have missed the best part of IS alre ...

No offence, are you saying if one misses certain imaginary golden period, it is better to not do it at all?

Eg, I have missed the golden period of learning English, should I just give up learning English?

oooray

If the best part is schooling without examination, yes, you have already missed the best part.

annie40

回覆 shadeslayer 的帖子

網友孩子還在念小學，未經歷中學，暫時意見不能作準

annie40

回覆 The4Ace 的帖子

如果財政上可以負擔，孩子才十一二歲轉讀國際學校，適應上完全不是問題。記憶中大部份轉讀的學生，成績不錯，中文又好，英文亦跟得上，很快便投入新生活。據悉插班的空缺很少，亦不易考入，孩子要及早打下良好的英文基礎。
至於各校，各有文化特色，也許先搜集資料，向朋友問意見後再分析。

初中時的學習輕鬆愉快，學生可以向多方面發展興趣。

964000

原帖由 oooray 於 15-10-12 發表
If the best part is schooling without examination, yes, you have already missed the best part.

Yes that is my point, I think the local lower primary curriculum is too pushy and demanding for the age. They have too much exams and tests and homework.

shadeslayer

原帖由 964000 於 15-10-12 發表
Yes that is my point, I think the local lower primary curriculum is too pushy and demanding for the  ...

I am not questioning primary school differences.  If there is still difference between the local school secondary curriculum and the IS secondary curriculum, should we get the benefits too?

Jumboshrimp

原帖由 964000 於 15-10-12 發表
Yes that is my point, I think the local lower primary curriculum is too pushy and demanding for the  ...

Totally agree with u. To be honest I'm the type of parent who wanna run away from the crazy local education system and thus opting for international school.

Li2015

You might have missed the no or little homework pressure for primary but I don't think u have missed out "the best part". I was in a public school both in hk and aboard in primary and transitioned into an international in secondary. Pros and cons of course in every decision and for me it was because my lack of Chinese. But having studied in hk I also remembered the pressure and homework and made me to appreciate IS more and not take it for granted.

samsam123321

樓主如果有國際promise

samsam123321

Li2015 發表於 15-10-12 22:48
You might have missed the no or little homework pressure for primary but I don't think u have missed ...

無中文.

poonseelai

你在國際版問這個問題, 大部分回应家長都有孩子在国際学校或提供国際課程學見就讀, 意思比較傾向国際。 你提問的四間學校在EK有很多討論, 可search下先, 要留意ESF和CIS是13年制, 中學由year 7開始, 等同本地六年級, 2016/17 年ESF year 7 central application 上月尾已截止, CIS 同樣多D位会给申請 year 7的外來生。 真有興趣上学校網頁看清楚, 申請咗先啦, 間間都不易。

The4Ace

Thank you all for your feedback.
Apart from smooth transition to overseas Uni, one of my major concerns is the change in my children's learning attitude.  My son used to be a creative, curious and eager learner.  The 'no question' policy and 'pushy' curriculum at school has started to discourage his eagerness to learn.  He has been asking me why he is punished for asking questions. My daughter has been trained to follow model answers.  I am worried that she'll become a copy cat.
I was told that IB is not an easy curriculum but can train children to be good problem solver and have critical thinking skills.  However, I am not sure if IS is really that good.
Leaving a 'famous' local school for an IS is a big and, to many, a strange decision.  I am trying to see if any of you have faced such dilemma.

poonseelai

原帖由 The4Ace 於 15-10-13 發表
Thank you all for your feedback.
Apart from smooth transition to overseas Uni, one of my major conce ...

唔好介意, 建議你現階段看多些資料, 了先解不同学校和课程, 否則未清楚情況討論亦未必有结果。 学校和課程只是一个平台,同一平台有孩子发揮好, 有些差D, IS 不是霻丹妙薬, 一入見效, 你孩子入讀的話已是中學, 要求同小学已有差別, 亦要開始留意成績, 無論IB或A level最後都有公開試。 其實轉入IS 除了子女父母亦要適應, 見過例子母親執著用LS mind set , 结果苦了孩子。

oooray

你的回應實在精準。所有"想"轉IS的家長應細味箇中道理。

oooray

其實最後一段是你的心聲。放棄得來不易的現狀，投進陌生國度而無法保證成功(如樓上家長所言，換套新校服不代表孩子便會脫胎換骨，學校只提供平台，孩子仍要加倍努力)。
在你掙札之餘，是否仍在口舌之爭，還是已開始報名行動？如前者，我有信心到孩子中學畢業時仍未有定論。
另你挣札之餘，有否跟孩子談過，是否願意接受改變的挑戰？(我的孩子在Year1及Year4轉校時，我也要開家庭會議，父母，當事人及姊/第一起討論，四方同意才行動)。
剛成為中學家長，已感到孩子在學校生活(包括學業，活動，社交)要非常主動及努力才有機會成功。
就你的情况而言，好像未有表示孩子的意向。
至於"名校家長"這光環，已不是成功與否的關鍵。

Jane1983

我都係土生土長，但我真係吾覺「名校家長」係也野光環。當年我小朋友考到入IS，連大抽獎都費事。本地學校最大優點係吾使錢，但計啱條數就得。

又有話，為面子，小朋友讀吾上都夾硬留在名校吾轉。咁你結婚時，老公在高盛做，咁吾通佢做得吾開心，轉工去中銀，你叫佢一定要做落去先有面？ 吾係卦，有時真係吾明白坊間個logic係邊...

DreamKid

Jane1983 發表於 15-10-13 15:35
我都係土生土長，但我真係吾覺「名校家長」係也野光環。當年我小朋友考到入IS，連大抽獎都費事。本地學校最 ...

對好多本地家長嚟講，名校的確係個放不下既光環。只要睇下啲人講我仔、我女係邊度讀時既表情，同隔離非名校家長既表情就知。