Comments on RC, ISF, YC, VSA

angela11

I am asking this for a colleague of mine who will relocate to HK from Shanghai later this year. Her daughter will be in Year 1 (= local K3) for School Year 2014-2015 (i.e. deadline to submit applications: around this Sep. - Oct.). My colleague wishes her daughter to get into a school strong in English (hence, IS and a few others such as ISF) and Putonghua (compared with other IS). I met the kid once - she speaks native Putonghua and is quite ok in English (mainly due to her home and kindergarten learning I believe).

My colleague did some research, and wants to learn more about these schools: RC, ISF, YC and VSA, from the parents here. She is most keen to know about:
- Teachers' quality;
- Curriculum rigor;
- Language spoken between students (out of class);
- Overall parents' style (pushy, laid-back...);
- ...

Location is not an issue at this moment as the family will decide where to live considering factors including the kid's schooling.

Your help will be much appreciated.

Shrimpiggy

Apply all, no one can guarantee you a place! Except YC, all you can buy debenture or NR for chance of interview.
ISF is strong in Chinese, RC is more international but also many locals target it also. YC and VSA mainly are locals whilst YC kids speak Cantonese after school and VSA is the one like a Local school the most.

mingmingyinyin

Apply for RC through the nomination rights scheme. Personally I would opt for RC as my first choice among the ones you mentioned.

angela11

Yes, I also suggested my colleague to apply all (and more) due to the competition.

My colleague asked me to say thank you for sharing your opinions! She can browse the forum but can't post here because she doesn't have a HK phone no. in order to register an account.

mingmingyinyin, may I ask why you take RC as your first choice? Thanks.

poonseelai

angela11 發表於 13-2-27 23:56
I am asking this for a colleague of mine who will relocate to HK from Shanghai later this year. Her  ...

Re VSA:

1. Teachers' quality: see link below

http://www.vsa.edu.hk/en/senior_mgt_sec.aspx

2. Curriculum: IB all way through

3.  Language spoken between students: the school does not prohibit the use of Cantonese in school.  As far as I know, more students from Mainland families have been accepted in recent years at primary school

4. Overall parents's style: generally not pushy

If the girl is targeting K3 in 2014/15 school year, she should go to Victoria Kindgerten.  VSA year 1 is equivalent to primary 1 of the local stream.

HKTHK

回復 angela11 的帖子

If she is considering these types of schools, she should also consider CIS and SIS.
Re ISF

Teacher's quality:  not sure how to compare

Curriculum rigor:  Chinese follow HK standards supplemented by own workbook and worksheets.  English and Math both follow US standards.  I don't remember which state and city though.

Language spoken between students: English and PTH.  Kind of depends on who is talking and who else is in the group.  But all kids are comfortable with both language so they switch back and forth.  Not sure if I have ever heard Cantonese other than parent talking to child.

Overall parents' style:  Mixed bag of pushy and laid-back.  You have parents who have their kids doing tutoring in Eng, Chi and Math and you have parents who don't really enroll their kids into anything else.  Having said this, I think most, if not all, parents take a pretty keen focus on their child's education and upbringing.

HKTHK

回復 angela11 的帖子

Probably also should consider CKY though I think they do their first year of Chinese in Cantonese

mingmingyinyin

回復 angela11 的帖子

You just mentioned RC, ISF, YC & VSA. Among the 4 schools, RC is the best (to me). I don't mean to offer others. Personally I think VSA is a bit "commercial" in the sense that education should not be done in this way. ISF tends to place more emphasis on Chinese and less on English at the early stage. In your friend's situation, she's native in Chinese; then I'd think she needs more English rather than Chinese. In this sense, RC seems to be more appropriate as it is run by ESF which is more 'western' and English-focused.
But if your friend would consider CIS, of course CIS is the best (to me).

Shrimpiggy

I also agree that RCHK is the best choice.  IB results RCHK is better than ISF whilst the tuition fee and all in cost for ISF is nearly double of RCHK.  
on the other hand, if your friend decided to stay in HK south and working in financial or ibank, ISF is a ring fence for ibankers.
apply all first, she can spend more time to do the research by herself. as I always say, choose the school that fit for you.

Radiomama

Interesting question about parent's style!
RC's parents:
- show great concern to the school's staff matters, food, curriculum and etc
- bonding among parents is strong
- pushy? laid back? I meet both.

chansiub

Please elaborate more on why VSA is commercial.  Thanks.

HKTHK

Agree with others, apply to all first and then decide

HKTHK

Can someone share the % of caucasian and mixed ethnicity children at RCHK?  Have never visited the school myself

Shrimpiggy

1:5. In those 5 are Asian faces including jap, Korean, etc.

cppc20

回復 angela11 的帖子

Apply all first!  Since your friend's kid speaks native PTH, that will be an advantage in ISF interview.  

chansiub

回復 mingmingyinyin 的帖子
Again, it is not the experience of someone who have kids studying in VSA.  It's from an unhappy ex staff.  I think it is very difficult for an organization to make all their staff happy.  My kid is studying at Victoria Kindergarten.  A lot of parents here on BK said this kindergarten is commercial.  But what does it mean?  It means that they will only concern about money?!  I have no clue.  The impression of Victoria Kindergarten in my mind was really bad after reading numerous posts on BK.  Then I visited the school and decided to give it a try.  This school is not "perfect" (think no school is) but I am happy with this school and my son loves the school.  Hence, I am thinking whether I should let him join VSA as I believe that the whole organization should have the same mission and culture.  However, the comments on VSA is even more terrible than those on Victoria Kindergarten.  Sign............

mingmingyinyin

回復 chansiub 的帖子

I agree with you that no school is perfect. But it is good to hear that your boy loves this school. Isn't it a through train school? That's good enough.

wenwan

My older son studied in VSA for two years. Both my son and I love the school. I am not sure why this school has bad comments in BK.   The strange thing is those who gave bad comments do not have kids studying there.  

Anyway, the teachers are caring and responsible. 28 - 29 kids per class with two home room teachers.  Students are happy and they do not have many homework in year 1 and 2. But as they move to upper primary, their homework volume will increase. Students speak mostly in English during recess and break. A few groups speak Cantonese. But everyone have to speak only English and Putonghua in the classroom. Students are polite and well mannered.  academically, Math and English are strong.  For Chinese, although it is not as good as those local elite schools, their standard is not too far behind.

lui

原帖由 chansiub 於 13-03-01 發表
本帖最後由 chansiub 於 13-3-1 10:13 編輯

回復 mingmingyinyin 的帖子

Other than 非牟利機構，all other kg are profit making and hence commercial I believe. For the commercial feels of Victoria, it may be true as comparing with others like St. Paul, SHk but not other profit making kg like st Catherine , york.

chansiub

回復 lui 的帖子

True.  But it appears to me that the term "commercial" on EK is very negative and evil.  That's why I want to know what's the difference between Vic and other IS (e.g. YC, ISF, ESF, CIS) when it comes to "commercial"?  I am looking for fair and constructive suggestion/comments and feel very frustrated when I see these "commercial" type of comments.  The term "commercial" on this forum makes no sense to me.  It's just like the term "口感" mentioning in almost all 飲食節目。