want my daughter to study in IS

asdfasdf

My daugter is now studying in traditionl primary school P.5 with top rank in the grade.  

I have been seeing a lot of comments and opionions in
this section regarding the "good & bad" of IS.  My daughter loves to study English a lot and she said that it would be good to study in any English speaking school..... obviously IS is a good choice.

However, my husband feels that my daughter might not be able to adapt herself in this totally new learning environment and that we are unable to make up our mind.  My husband also worries that the syllabus of IS might not be able to fit into local one if she decides to go into local university.

Our targeting IS is KGV.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Cayenne

原文章由 bbwong 於 07-9-11 01:43 硐表
nice to hear so many comments from all of you!

i am thinking if my daughter study in IS primary, is she able to apply local secondary school? In my personal opinion, children can learn language (spea ...

IS 轉 local, 很多網友都有提及課程銜接的問題. 這不一定是指 local 課程深, IS 淺, 而是大家追求的知識和目標不同而已.

不過, 小朋友的適應力是很強的, 加上天資, 能順利轉變課程亦不奇. 但有另一方面更要考慮 , 就是 :

IS 鼓勵學生多思考、多討論、多懷疑、多發問、主動性強、討厭死記死背、敢於 speak out 表達自己所想.  

試想想將他/她放回傳统學校, 有可能會格格不入, 甚至會被視為一個用流利英語挑戰老師權威的「麻煩友」, 對小朋友的壓抑可以很大, 要有心理預備, 需要一點 EQ 去適應.

愚見以為, 如果以純粹希望學英文的心態去讀 IS, 而不理會她們的教學理念, 是很容易會失望, 但又「如入寶山空手回」的.

[ 本文章最後由 Cayenne 於 07-9-11 12:07 編輯 ]

bawt

Some elite schools offer French from Form One (eg DGS, GHS, not 100% though for now). Students can choose French instead of Chinese if they want. This was very "fashionable" at my time as a student.

I think the problem would be, like WYMom said, the workload instead. Plus, the crazily competitive atmosphere (which is no longer exclusive to the few elite schools) might put too much stress to both the child and the parents.

I am not sure if the financial burden would really be that light, since I know that almost all students in elite schools (I presume you would not want to settle for a band 3 school) are going to after school tutorial classes - some even have their own private tutors for single subjects. And to be honest, it really appears to me that those tutorial classes or private tutors are really needed.

WYmom

原文章由 bbwong 於 07-9-11 01:43 硐表
nice to hear so many comments from all of you!

i am thinking if my daughter study in IS primary, is she able to apply local secondary school? In my personal opinion, children can learn language (spea ...

It is possible but...

1. There are not many secondary schools suitable or will accept students from IS because the Chinese standard of IS students are generally lower than local.  Currently, only some new DSS will take students from IS such as YMCA,  Creative Secondary as I know.  Maybe there are a lot more when your kid grows up.

2. It is harder for a kid to switch from IS to local rather than the other way round as the teaching method and workload of IS and local schools are very different.  I believe many people already know this.

bbwong

nice to hear so many comments from all of you!

i am thinking if my daughter study in IS primary, is she able to apply local secondary school? In my personal opinion, children can learn language (speaking English) easily and better when they're younger like primary. After her English foundation is good (can speak well etc), we 'may ' let her study in local secondary school n local university due to budget issue....

can anyone give me some comments? it is really difficult to pick either IS or local .....

阿胡

原文章由 asdfasdf 於 07-9-9 20:06 硐表
...
Will it be possible for my daughter to transfer back to normal secondary stream after maybe several years in IS.....

完全同意上面WYmom所講. 你這樣來回轉學, 不光小朋友慘過小白鼠, 而且一定行不通.

另外, 就是讀完IS中學再在香港讀大學, 都不是個好選擇, 除非港大讀醫等幾個少數專業. 雖然IS學生可以通過non-jupas進入本地大學, 但由於好多方面銜接都有問題, IS學生往往處於不利地位. 這方面也不是三言兩語可以講得清楚的.

WYmom

原文章由 asdfasdf 於 07-9-9 20:06 硐表
thanks so much for so many advices from all of you.  

I heard that it is easier to get into Kowloon Junior School with a good reference letter and when afterwards we'll be offered a seat in KGV.  Is  ...

A good reference letter can get you into KJS and KGV?  If it works, I believe all parents will do it!!  Who tell you this?  Maybe Donald Tsang can??  

If transferred to international secondary school, the cirriculum and exam system is all different from local, so don't think you can transfer back to local.   If you really plan like this, I think it is better not to change to IS, as I believe your kid will be getting nowhere.

[ 本文章最後由 WYmom 於 07-9-9 21:25 編輯 ]

asdfasdf

thanks so much for so many advices from all of you.  

I heard that it is easier to get into Kowloon Junior School with a good reference letter and when afterwards we'll be offered a seat in KGV.  Is this true?

Besides, can any one advise me on the difference of syllabus of IS and normal local school.  We have been trying to appy for local famous primary school but no luck.  Appreciated..

I still cannot come to a compromise with my husband because he always thinks that it will be a nightmere for my daughter to adapt.  However, it will be easier for her to transter to IS when she is still small (in fact my daughter is quite confident to make this change).  Will it be possible for my daughter to transfer back to normal secondary stream after maybe several years in IS..... so many worries!!

Thanks

原文章由 WYmom 於 07-9-7 07:24 硐表


It is very difficult for non-ESF students to get into KGV or SC at Year 7 or 8 now as they no longer receive applications from outside in the recent years.  All places are filled up by ESF primary s ...

cs1980

thank you,
i will pay more attension to his " friendship" .

原文章由 阿胡 於 07-9-9 00:50 硐表


真是很難回答你呀.

我大兒子是讀完P5後轉去IS讀中學一年級(美國grade 6). 當時真是糊裡糊塗的. 轉學基本上是基於兩點: 一是想讓他去美國讀大學, 二是覺得他英文同他同齡IS學生有明顯差距. 當時真是不知道讀IS會 ...

阿胡

原文章由 lily3258 於 07-9-8 16:05 硐表
Hi, 阿胡

恭喜，恭喜！

我昨天問阿仔想不想轉新校，佢話不知道，兩間學校都喜歡．RC是否有好有錢人讀？

Year 4的小朋友才8歲吧? 我相信他會很快喜歡RC的.

我的小朋友不是讀RC, 不知道是否是好有錢人讀. 我估計是中產偏上吧.

我想有兩句話應該不會錯:

1) 香港最有錢的應該不會讀RC;
2) 香港最有錢的應該不會上BK.

哈哈. 開個玩笑.

阿胡

原文章由 cs1980 於 07-9-8 10:05 硐表
hi,阿胡,
can you share with us on the topic" how to help your child when is transfered from local school to international school"? say for a 10 year old.

真是很難回答你呀.

我大兒子是讀完P5後轉去IS讀中學一年級(美國grade 6). 當時真是糊裡糊塗的. 轉學基本上是基於兩點: 一是想讓他去美國讀大學, 二是覺得他英文同他同齡IS學生有明顯差距. 當時真是不知道讀IS會有和讀香港主流學校會有如此大的差異.

語言專家說, 兒童12歲之後就很難完全學會一門語言.  我所見到有限的例子真是個個如此, 這也可能我孤陋寡聞吧. 我大兒子11歲轉讀IS, 他的中文可能一輩子就停留在小學程度, 盡管他去年在大學還加讀了一門中國古文. 哈哈.

他在中文小學裡, 應該算是一個好學生. 中文小學同IS小學比較, 數學訓練多很多. 所以他居然在IS裡數學可以一直讀honor classes. 這是讀中文小學的另一附加好處. 至於中文小學同IS小學數學程度的比較, 又是可以爭論一通的. 我的觀點是, 如果小朋友不是數學天才, 還是多訓練些好. 但過多訓練數學也是害人. 數學天才從來都不是老師教出來的. 哈哈, 越說越遠.

你的小朋友10歲從一個local school 轉去讀IS, 困難是會有的. 但基本上一定會成功, 只不過過程同我7歲小兒子比, 會辛苦些. 我大兒子的經驗是, 一定要多鼓勵. 特別是鼓勵多和同學交朋友. 朋友多, 就會有自信心, 過渡就會順利得多. 現在再回想起我大兒子的教育, 可能最好的決定就是將他從中文學校轉到IS.

因為怕過渡過程辛苦, 小兒子就早早轉學. 結果是, 要補中文, 還要補少少數學.  

人生不如意事, 十有八九. 哈哈.

亂七八糟說一通, 見諒.

hjm

My son's situation is similar....he just changed to an IS this summer from local P5 to Year 7.  So far he's enjoying alot, probably because of the freedom!!!

lily3258

Hi, 阿胡

恭喜，恭喜！

我昨天問阿仔想不想轉新校，佢話不知道，兩間學校都喜歡．RC是否有好有錢人讀？

原文章由 阿胡 於 07-9-7 22:17 硐表


哈哈, 他現在正在美國讀大學.

當年, 他真是有一次哭著對我說, "I hate the new school!". :(

cs1980

hi,阿胡,
can you share with us on the topic" how to help your child when is transfered from local school to international school"? say for a 10 year old.

阿胡

原文章由 lily3258 於 07-9-7 22:04 硐表
Hi 阿胡

現在你的大仔是否已經適應了IS，當初你仔仔有沒有同你講想唔想轉校．

哈哈, 他現在正在美國讀大學.

當年, 他真是有一次哭著對我說, "I hate the new school!". :(

lily3258

Hi 阿胡

現在你的大仔是否已經適應了IS，當初你仔仔有沒有同你講想唔想轉校．

原文章由 阿胡 於 07-9-7 14:39 硐表


"好易學壞"真是好難講. 對是否在IS容易學壞, 人人都有自己的觀點, 好容易引起爭論. 但我並不覺得這是個問題, 因為我相信IS的學生父母一般都受了較好的教育. 雖然不可以說"龍生龍, 鳳生鳳, 老鼠的兒子會打洞", 但統 ...

阿胡

原文章由 lily3258 於 07-9-7 13:06 硐表
阿仔剛剛在9月6日面試完 (Renaissance College - Year 4), 阿仔話好大機會收, 但是我好擔心阿仔插班會比同學"合"和好易學壞.

當初你大仔插班時, 請問有沒有擔心這個問題.

Thanks/Lily3258

"好易學壞"真是好難講. 對是否在IS容易學壞, 人人都有自己的觀點, 好容易引起爭論. 但我並不覺得這是個問題, 因為我相信IS的學生父母一般都受了較好的教育. 雖然不可以說"龍生龍, 鳳生鳳, 老鼠的兒子會打洞", 但統計數字可以表明受了較好的教育的父母, 通常子女會讀書.

插班對小朋友的沖擊是很大的. 我大兒子當年大過你的兒子, 應該問題更多. Year 4相對來說不會太難. 父母有意識地幫助他, 會讓過渡順利些. 好多父母出於自己的主觀意識而不讓小朋友玩一些喜歡玩的遊戲, 例如game cards, computer games, 或由於各種原因減少參加一些team sports, 我覺得肯定會延長這一過渡過程. 我當年幫我大兒子時做得很不好. 當然我有很多籍口, 例如工作忙, 但現在真是很後悔.

joyfung

In KGV, the top groups (set 1 and the elit class) of Chinese students will take GCSE Chinese at yr9 and take ALevel Chinese at yr11. My son is now in yr8.
It is true that it is hard to get in KGV in yr7. I just received the school newsletter from CWBS (my daughter is still in primary school) and it said yr6 new comers may not had a place in KGV.

原文章由 WYmom 於 07-9-7 08:17 硐表


Hi, 阿胡,

Long time no talk!  Actually now the Chinese standard in IS may not be lower than local schools.  In SC and KGV, the top group of Chinese students will take 1st language GCSE Chinese at y ...

[ 本文章最後由 joyfung 於 07-9-7 15:44 編輯 ]

GALLIE

My son transferred to RC (Year 7) from a local school this year.   He truly enjoys his school life and adapt into the school life much faster than i anticipate.   Although he has to put extra effort in england, he told me he has been get used to english as the teaching medium.