The SPK Form is a Joke

omnicontra

I was just filling in the SPK form. I was so disgusted at the level of English displayed on the form! By all means, my English is not perfect, but I can still pick out several wrong choices of words or just plain grammatical mistakes. I do understand that they have way too many applicants to pick from and even if their forms were in Ancient Greek, parents would force themselves to comply. However, these semi-official documents are a display of their status and reputation. By making mistakes on these papers, they are effectively telling us they are ignorant or downright careless.

The person who drafted this form and the one who checked it, should be fired! If he, or she, is working in a commercial firm, he or she will not even pass probation; and yet he, or she, is possibly in a teaching post.

1. Have they ever heard of the word “affix”? Come on! “paste”?

2. “Offices” don’t have names, “Companies” do.

3. The form asked about a “sister”, and then asked for names of “sister/brother”? This is not an English issue but common logic. Please lookup the word “sibling”.

4. “If no more vacancy it will be transfer to PM Session”. Never mind about coherence first, check the “transfer” without “ed”. If you don’t mind, don’t call our children “it”.

5. Perhaps I am a bit harsh, but I am looking forward to see any kindergarten in Hong Kong using the word “enrolment” instead of “application”.

6. Oh dear, oh dear, “Personal data will be *KEPT* strictly confidential” or “Personal data will be *TREATED AS* strictly confidential”.

7. Missed the “s” in “late application”

8. Again, please use “affix”

9. You bring $30 in cash, not bring $30 by cash.

Do you think they are going to redo the form? I guess not, because teachers think they are always right.

GCCC1231

Would you consider returning your kid's application form with your suggested correction provided thereon in red manuscripts? SPK might consider your kid's application seriously. You will be the hero of SPK.

Grammar is important! But do you know what is the function of a language? The answer is simple: Effective Communication.

You might ask how many parents having and reading this application form failure to understand what SPK is looking for.

Respectfully speaking, I don't think 'affix' is better than 'paste'. I think SPK only wants to ask the parents to use glue to paste a photo of our lovely kid on the application form. For the word 'affix' to be used, we normally use it when we are talking about 'affix the common seal of a company on a legal document' when force should be applied. Do you think SPK intends us to use force to 'affix' the photo onto the application form?

For 'enrolment' or 'application', we use 'enroll' after offer is given by the school. Now, parents are in fact applying for a seat at SPK, what's wrong with it?

For the rest, I totally agree with you and appreciate your observation, though found no value at all.

I am not English teacher nor any perfect person and so do the staff of SPK.

If you found it's a shame that SPK has unqualified or below-standard English teacher or staff, please drop your kid's application form in the bin!

God Bless You.

nataliepsc

Well this other half were not offered a seat by SPC, so they have to either apply for DSS or wait for lucky draw. St Paul, st franis are both famous subsidised schools so these will be hot targets anyway.

原帖由 yantabo 於 10-11-14 16:10 發表
maybe the others half will go st.paul catholic,st.francis,SH.....

yantabo

maybe the others half will go st.paul catholic,st.francis,SH.....

原帖由 nataliepsc 於 10-11-13 23:14 發表
BTW, not all SPK students are admitted by SPC.  We have a friend's daughter who is currently studying in their K3 class.  She was among the lucky ones but only about half of her classmates were admitt ...

nataliepsc

BTW, not all SPK students are admitted by SPC.  We have a friend's daughter who is currently studying in their K3 class.  She was among the lucky ones but only about half of her classmates were admitted by SPC this year.

nataliepsc

I did not really notice so many typos.  Normally I am quite picky on grammatical mistakes or typos but probably I was too desparate to have it filled in ASAP, I did not really pay much attention to it, especially that I was just copying information out of a copy of the same form I filled in 3 years ago.

We've already applied for this school in 2007 for my elder daughter.  Unfortunately she kept her mouth shut during the entire interview so natually she was not admitted.  The form was exactly the same as this year's except the application number reference (changed from 2008 to 2011) and the form submission date.

Again, regardless of these typos, I am sure the number of applicants will not drop.  Competition is so keen this year due to the dramatically increased birth rate in 2008.  If my younger one is admitted, there is no chance I am going to give up the offer.

靚媽媽店

oh my god..

lai080207

Yes. I think the majority of the students will go straight into the ST. Paul Convent primary school. This is also the reason why heaps of  parents become so desperate to go in the SPK despite of no NET and no Putonghau teaching during three years kindergarten life.  That's all about the RELATIONSHIPS!

vickichan

請問知唔知spk係咪可以直升小學部架

Bonnie

我朋友個女响 St. Paul 中學教英文..聽日見到佢..話過佢知先..既然今年張 form 咁多錯處..出年唔好再錯嘞...好影響學校聲譽架..

yantabo

hahaha......it's funny if no one point this out,i won't alert....my english is not professional but ican point out another mistake"please write the name of the child on the back of the photo."
"at the back" not "on the back"
and why don't simply write as "please write the child's name at the back of the photo."

22May

100% agree!!

Sumyeema1

這個 post 幾好，等 d 家長知道名校也不是完美的。

SPK 是沒有 NET or PTH 老師的。 各位家長真要了解自己對小朋友培養的方向，找出適合自己仔女的學校。

chowhui97

haaa... : (

May I know if they have NET in all the class?  The teaching medium is in Cantonese or in English?

iantsang

Thanks for the feedbacks!  Anyway, I would think these are just tiny hiccups!

原帖由 Snoopywy 於 10-11-12 16:03 發表
IAN :
2010個份係冇
你所指2點

Snoopywy

IAN :
2010個份係冇
你所指2點

iantsang

I totally agree with you in this case!  Don't even think of trying it!

原帖由 brrbaby2007 於 10-11-12 15:17 發表


唔好o甘做呀，得罪人都唔知架

iantsang

just out of curiousity I retrieved the form 2 years ago and compare with the new one (I still haven't decided if I will apply SPK this time ).

"(If no more vacancy it will be transfer to P.M. Session )" and "All candidate’s personal data will be strictly confidential, and will be used for application only.", these two sentences didn't appear on the 2009 application form.  Anyone have the 2010 form?

Anyway, don't take this too serious.  Anyone can make mistakes and likely these forms may be just drafted by office clerks rather than teachers.

原帖由 brrbaby2007 於 10-11-12 15:03 發表
又真係.....年年都係o甘？

w_y

又係喎~~
哈哈.
唉....又係既, 堂堂一間學校...唔係有人發現 UPLOAD 錯, 我填錯舊年張添喎.

brrbaby2007

原帖由 w_y 於 10-11-12 15:13 發表
將這些建議交俾校長, 最好係自己幫佢執過一份. 話唔定校長見呢位家長義工又叻又為學校著想, 俾位佢讀.

唔好o甘做呀，得罪人都唔知架