Which Cat is my girl in under the ESF system?

LLC2204

My girl is now studying K1 in an ESF kindergarten. Both she and her Dad have UK passports but they are chinese.
I don't hold any foreign country passport.
We all speak in English in our daily life.
If my girl can also speak (but not read or write)in basic Chinese which she learns from her grandparents,  which category is she in under the ESF primary school application system?

It is always so confusing to me! Pls help!

ahmom

cat 2, even your daughter got a UK passport.

Ocean419

Do the really test the CHILD'S Chinese speaking ability athe p1 interview?  If the child can only speak mandarin but not Cantonese, that is still considered cat 2?

原帖由 ahmom 於 11-2-11 21:59 發表
cat 2, even your daughter got a UK passport.

ahmom

Mom - Chinese surname
Dad - Chinese surname
Cat 2.
I guessed their thoughts, correct me if I'm wrong.

alpham0m

My guess was the alphabets of the HKID cards of the parents.

All expatriates have a different set of alphabets than local HKers and admission officiers probably use those as a reference to differentiate Cat 1 or Cat 2.

Only my guess, could very well be wrong.

pamam

HK ID's no is definitely not a judging factor.

acdad

I think the proper way is to call ESF (and EBD)  for the answer directly and by checking the questions asked by the ESF admission form to see any hints given.

Based on some posts found on internet, the defintion of Cat 1 below  is reasonable

“Category 1” child, ie a child whose first language is English and needs to go to an English-medium school. If their child’s first language is Cantonese or other languages, they would be classified as “non-Cat 1” when they apply for ESF. It is to ensure the child was sufficiently responsive in English.) "



Below link has some useful info about education support for NCS children in HK and a list of IS in HK ,but still cannot provide the answer for Cat 1 and Cat 2.

http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=4369&langno=1

[ 本帖最後由 acdad 於 11-2-13 13:28 編輯 ]

Glossimar

就cat1/cat2依個問題，我曾經係面試當日問過負責安排小朋友面試o既學校職員...

我同我老公都係chinese，全家hold加拿大護照。我個仔之前係山頂sunshine house讀幼稚園。記得esf year 1面試果日，同一齊跟老師入去面試o既小朋友，幾乎全部都係sunshine house o既同學仔。當日，除左我個仔係chinese，其他小朋友大部份來自歐洲，有1個係印度仔。

阿仔入去面試時，我就88卦卦走去問下負責登記小朋友資料同安排小朋友入去面試果位女職員(佢係香港人黎)，究竟esf係點分cat1同cat2，果位女職員解釋我知，佢地主要睇小朋友就讀邊間幼稚園。假如小朋友讀果間幼稚園完全冇中文學，即代表小朋友將來亦無法係主流中文學校就讀，佢地就會將依類型小朋友歸入cat1(所以點解外國人大多係cat1)，否則cat2。我個仔當時被歸入為cat1。(到現在我個仔都只識講小小，而唔識睇同寫中文)

我又問點解interview一班小朋友會係同學仔，女職員話其實esf會盡量會安排返同一間幼稚園o既cat1小朋友一齊interivew。佢又話張form入面有關小朋友講邊種語言，只係參考用途。有好多甚至連英文都唔識講。學校其實唔理架，因為佢地先收唔能夠係主流學校就讀o既學生先。

所以，家長係張form度填到天花龍鳳都冇用。

我仔依家係PS讀緊year3。

[ 本帖最後由 Glossimar 於 11-2-21 23:54 編輯 ]

LLC2204

Oh, I see!  Thanks for your information!

Is your son studying in ESF primary school now?

YMCAkids

But what about the ESP kinder as most kids did not attned any school before applying ESF Kinder how can they categorise Cat 1 and 2?? so confused!

babytse

Hi LC2204
my girl same as your case
ONLY my girl and her dad has foreign passport

but your case will be in CAT II (since the little girl can speak Chi)

May I know Which ESF kinder??

and b4 we get the play visit chance, the admin is calling and ask her dad some questions: one is What is her grandparents language....

Glossimar

LLC2204
我個仔依家係PS(Peak School)讀year3

LLC2204

Hi, babytse

  my girl is in ESF Tsing Yi.

Ocean419

Hi Glossimar, do you know if esf's definition for "chinese" means just Cantonese or it includes mandarin? I know many IS kinders currently, or will do so in the near future, offer bilingual stream in English/mandarin. I am looking at sending my son to sunshine house kinder which will begin to offer bilingual stream which is great. Hope this won't reduce my son's chance of getting into esf primary.

原帖由 Glossimar 於 11-2-21 23:50 發表
就cat1/cat2依個問題，我曾經係面試當日問過負責安排小朋友面試o既學校職員...

我同我老公都係chinese，全家hold加拿大護照。我個仔之前係山頂sunshine house讀幼稚園。記得esf year 1面試果日，同一齊跟老師入去面試o既 ...