Why can't ESF Primary take all ESF Kindy kids???

PoohsBaby

It is difficult to understand why ESF Primary schools can't accept all (or most) kids from ESF Kindy.   Why are they called ESF kindy if they are not given a place in ESF Primary.
What's this bullshxt about ESF Kindy have priority for interview but no gaurantee they get a place???   If these ESF Primary don't believe the Kindergartens under their own system they might as well use OPEN recruitment policy and terminate this messy CAT 1 - CAT 2 business.   
Their admission policy is extremely outdated and needs a major revamp.
I feel sorry for the poor mum who jumped off the building at Shamshuipo ... What can these ESF K2 kids go if the ESF primary schools don't offer them a place??? Their standard of Chinese will not allow them to go back to the traditional Chinese schools!
Why are these ESF Primary schools going to other Kindergartens for recruitment.   If they consider the quality of ESF Kindy as poor then do something about it ...

MayAnne

I am yet another ESF parent. My daughter did not go to ESF kindy but she was from another local kindie offering international stream. It would be unfair if she was denied access to the ESF system simply because she was not in their kindy.

It's not just the locals that are being denied entry this year. I know a boy, both parents are NOT locals failed the interview as well because his vocab. was not up to scratch. We are talking about a boy who knows no other language BUT English. Now how unfair is that then? There is no way in the world he could survive in the local system. Who will teach him chinese? He cannot even speak a word of chinese, let alone to read and write in it. And his mother, for the life of her, cannot understand why local kids want to go to ESF when they can cope in the local stream.

If you feel strongly that all students from ESF kindies should go to ESF, then ESF may only allow Cat. 1 families to enter their kindies. This would deny golden opportunities to local families who want an English education for their kids. ESF did not do this. They are giving local families a chance as well. If local families can prove that their kids can survive in an all english environment, they can study there. Isn't this good enough?

I agree that it is tough when children are not accepted. It's the same with lots of DSS and government funded schools as well. Another friend of mine is grieving because she has not found a school for her daughter.

It's tough for all....locals or otherwise.

MITCHmama

I am personally a ESF Primary parent and I did have an emergency plan even my boy was not coming from ESF Kindy. Besides, I did prepared myself as well....by keep telling myself there's still lots of choices and options out there.....don't blame for anything/ anyone if the kid can't make it.
Failing the interview is just because the school is not suitable for him ot the other way around. I belive everythin happens for a reason......

[ 本帖最後由 MITCHmama 於 10-2-13 22:26 編輯 ]

lottieclee

Agree... no education system is perfect.  And ESF is relying on a honor system.  How can they put more effort into screening out true Cat 1 students?  By listening to the parents' english accent?  By observation whether the child speaks cantonese to other children in the classroom?  No matter what they do, it will create another round of complaints regarding discrimination etc.  Any system, anywhere cannot please everyone.  Parents who choose to be in the IS/ESF system, including myself, should learn to play the game.  Who ever told us that ESF system is better than the local education system?  It's just different systems suit different families' needs.

jjd

You also don't get my point.
Of course I know it's hard for a ESF kindy kid to catch with local K2 kid in Chinese if his/her parent did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help the kid in Chinese while the child is attending ESF kindy.  Parents who send their kids to ESF kindy should have only targeted for ESF/other international primary schools.  They should apply other IS or at least consider other IS in case they fail the ESF interview.  True, some parents may not be able to afford other IS and the only option left would be to switch to local but if that is the case, they should have equipped their kids with a Chinese level at least close to a K2 local kid.  I do personally know a girl from ESF Tsing Yi whose Chinese is as good as a K3 local kid.  She also passed the interview of SJS.  Being good at Chinese does not necessarily mean poor in English.  It's really a matter of how much effort the parent put in and how well a parent has planned for his child.   

原帖由 PoohsBaby 於 10-2-12 22:01 發表
You don't get the point, kids going to ESF Kindy will have a very difficult time catching up with their Chinese as compared to Alliance Pri School, how can you compare ????

strayteddy

The weird logic is obvious.  Responsible parents must have considered thoroughly what you mentioned before they decide on their children's education path. ESF should not be held responsible for the parents' own choice.

原帖由 PoohsBaby 於 10-2-12 21:58 發表
What do you mean by 'weird' logic?? Kids going to ESF Kindy are poor in Chinese ... so if they don't get into an ESF Primary school where can they go.   Not everyone can afford other IS and if they do ...

[ 本帖最後由 strayteddy 於 10-2-13 00:07 編輯 ]

Mighty

Nothing is perfect in this world. If you think the rule is not fair, then dont play the game.  ESF is not a must in Hong Kong's schooling and you have got other choices.  What I dont fancy is people nowadays always get something to blame.  Everything is wrong except himself.  If the title has been "why cant Hong Kong universities take all secondary school students in Hong Kong", what would you hv been thinking then?

Mighty

reply repeated.

[ 本帖最後由 Mighty 於 10-2-12 18:33 編輯 ]

PoohsBaby

You got me wrong, I am saying it's an excellent system if everyone is playing fair and ESF can do more to ensure it is fair.   
There was actually more Cat 1 applications than the total number of seats this year because many people realize they can claim they only speak English and they can be classified as Cat 1.

原帖由 Mighty 於 10-2-12 09:12 發表
Totally disagree with Poohsbaby.  While Cat 1 students are becoming less than 10 years ago, they do still exist as a minority.  I think it is very good that ESF sticks to their Cat 1 / Cat 2 policy ot ...

PoohsBaby

The problem is many many parents try the menu i.e. claim their kids speak English only or their mother tongue is English, and ESF don't do a good job in catching these people.   These liars/cheats are causing the increase in Cat 1 applications and taking the places of genuine Cat 1 kids .... Yes, we all have a choice, but ESF have to do a better job in their selection criteria.

原帖由 oooray 於 10-2-12 09:45 發表
As a ESF kinda parent, I don't think ESF primary should take all kinder students even if they have not yet been ready.
If my children cannot pass the interview, that means he/she is not qualified at t ...

PoohsBaby

You don't get the point, kids going to ESF Kindy will have a very difficult time catching up with their Chinese as compared to Alliance Pri School, how can you compare ????

原帖由 jjd 於 10-2-12 11:36 發表
Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong only accepts 30% of its kindergarten students every year for primary one.  The rest is forced to go to other local schools.  The school also accepts students fr ...

PoohsBaby

What do you mean by 'weird' logic?? Kids going to ESF Kindy are poor in Chinese ... so if they don't get into an ESF Primary school where can they go.   Not everyone can afford other IS and if they do go to local kindy they may have to repeat K2.   

原帖由 strayteddy 於 10-2-12 14:47 發表
Just another one to seize on the tragedy to attack ESF with weird logic.

If you really feel sorry for the family, why don't you let the incident fade from the spotlight and let the father and the dau ...

strayteddy

Just another one to seize on the tragedy to attack ESF with weird logic.

If you really feel sorry for the family, why don't you let the incident fade from the spotlight and let the father and the daughter heal their wounds.

原帖由 PoohsBaby 於 10-2-12 00:34 發表
It is difficult to understand why ESF Primary schools can't accept all (or most) kids from ESF Kindy.   Why are they called ESF kindy if they are not given a place in ESF Primary.
What's this bullshxt ...

[ 本帖最後由 strayteddy 於 10-2-12 18:09 編輯 ]

CSJ安樂窩

Yes, be able to study in an English environment is what they are looking for.  Sadly speaking, a lot of parents still think that once they entered the ESF community, their kids had entered a 'through train' system.  This is WRONG.

ESF kinder pointed out in the contract that they do not garantee a place for primary but a lot of parents still think that, 'of course ESF say so, only because they don't want to commit themselves.'  Well, Yes, maybe thats true but in reality, this is the FACT.  So far, I have only seen kids failing to get a place because they FAIL the interview but if you have passed the interview, a school will be allocated later on, say by May or June.

原帖由 inho 於 10-2-12 12:48 發表
The selection criteria to be admitted to primary 1? If English ability the major criterion, parents should pay attention to it at the very beginning.

inho

The selection criteria to be admitted to primary 1? If English ability the major criterion, parents should pay attention to it at the very beginning.

bakusensei

原帖由 jjd 於 10-2-12 11:36 發表
Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong only accepts 30% of its kindergarten students every year for primary one.  The rest is forced to go to other local schools.  The school also accepts students fr ...

Even for other int'l schools, like ICS, they won't accept all kids from the kinder even they have 75 seats for pre-Grade 1 which should be able to accept all the 60 kinder kids.

ICS kinder kids also need to go through the same assessment test like other outside applicants.

jjd

Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong only accepts 30% of its kindergarten students every year for primary one.  The rest is forced to go to other local schools.  The school also accepts students from other kindergartens on a selective basis.  Nobody complains about that.  Alliance Primary School has never been blamed.  Why?  The only reason being ESF schools are international schools and international schools are more proned to being attacked.

oooray

As a ESF kinda parent, I don't think ESF primary should take all kinder students even if they have not yet been ready.
If my children cannot pass the interview, that means he/she is not qualified at that moment. That's all.

The "menu" of the game has been there for a long time.
If you have decided to play the game, don't blame "it was not fair" after you lose the game;
If you think "the game is not fair", don't play the game.
If you don't read the "Menu" before playing the game, who should we blame?

Mighty

Totally disagree with Poohsbaby.  While Cat 1 students are becoming less than 10 years ago, they do still exist as a minority.  I think it is very good that ESF sticks to their Cat 1 / Cat 2 policy otherwise where can Cat 1 students go when they really cannot, unlike those so called English speaking local kids, fit in local schools.  

Are there enough universities here in Hong Kong to cater all high school kids?  According to your theory, lots of secondary schools need to be closed then?

The case in Shamsuipo is really an individual case and should not be taken to blame ESF admission  policy.