ISF 和 SIS 大家会怎么考虑？

KarenKang

ISF用繁體中文. 懂繁體中文將來應用簡體並不難. ISF的學生普通話都說得非常流利. 越高年級(高小開始), 孩子的PLAYGROUND LANGUAGE多數是英文, 但中英文雙語都能非常靈活轉換. 初小70%中文, 到高中80%英文教學. 由於現代科學都是源自英語, 用英語吸收大部份知識較直接, 也容易涵接外國名校. 就算將來選擇在外國定居, 由於很多跨國企業都與中國有業務來往, 懂中文及有較深層次中國文化的人才十分吃香.
ISF學生的閱讀能力都很強, 閱讀氣氛十分良好. 很多初小就看HARRY POTTER了. ISF有中國人注重的的紀律(有人覺得嚴), 也有西方人的自由開放思想. 中英雙語能讓孩子將來看的世界更闊更大.
不會說ISF老師十分十美, 但都很樂意及用心跟家長溝通.

每個人的選擇都不同, 若學校是適合某些家長的取向, 就是好學校.

annie40

順道分享是除了看家長的文化取向，亦可考慮孩子的性情和性格發展。ISF準備成立時，曾打算報名譲孩子入讀，幾番思量，發現阿女是「郭靖」型性格，老實又鈍鈍地，如果由小一坐定定坐到十三班，實在有點嚇人，倒不如群下D「伯厭」小朋友，學下曳曳都好。反正好乖又唔會多讚，好曳又可以過骨，做人要學下轉膊。其實英式教育都「非常嚴謹」，系playground 玩到甩頭甩䯺無人介意，對老師說話必須有分吋兼尊重，再者部份英式生活習慣和小節，亦值得推祟，小學階段孩子普遍是非常有禮貌，非常的young ladies and gentlemen styles.
註：擔心女兒坐得過定是基於她的十分守規矩的性格，並非指ISF規範孩子要坐定定。

Wallaby

Iyyshore, Understand the result is not out yet but good luck and all the best to your admission decision. It would always be good to have the happy problem if you were able to choose the school you want.

HulkBuster

I am not familiar with the culture at SIS but another factor which prospective ISF parents may wish to consider is the student/parent mix at ISF. From my own observation, I would say around 60+% are mainlanders/Taiwanese families (not the 土豪 type but well-educated professionals/bankers). Most ISF parents (including local HK ones) are pretty well off (typically new money) who dote on their kids. Birthday parties at AMC, travelling on business class+holidaying multiple times a year, drivers, etc. are the norm/basic essentials for ISF kids. I have heard friends saying that they consider this a plus as kids could network/connect with wealthy 富二代 which would be an advantage as they grow up when these childhood friends become useful business connections. I, however, find this a bit troubling as I am not sure it is good for young kids (who are not mature enough to see through all these materialistic stuff) to grow up in that kind of unrealistic/distorted environment.

FattyDaddy

HulkBuster 發表於 16-2-16 17:01
kids could network/connect with wealthy 富二代 which would be an advantage as they grow up when these childhood friends become useful business connections ...

That's a long term goal for sure, but in the nearer term the parents may also network/connect through their kids with other parents for more immediate gains, that's probably a bigger attraction.

Riesling

My friend's relative hs the exact intention mentioned in the above threads, if that's the main motive, it's sad......

HulkBuster

Riesling 發表於 16-2-16 18:40
if that's the main motive, it's sad...

Not sure about the sad part but as commented by other parents above, prospective parents need to understand what they want for their children and their families and what they are in for to avoid disappointment.

tingtingting

I've been an ISF parents for some years and let me add my two cents. There are parents in every top or most exclusive/expensive schools, local or international, be it SP Co-ed, DGS, GSIS, CIS, HKIS, ISF... who care a lot about making connections early, staying close to big $$$ etc etc.  There is indeed a line of Bentley, Maybach and LR outside ISF every morning but you can also see Subaru, Honda and Suzuki. I can testify that not all ISF parents belong to the privileged class.  As a matter of fact, around 15-20% of the ISF parents are paying half or no fee at all. And, you know what, kids on subsidy are never, I repeat, never, ever stigmatised at ISF. The school treats 馬化騰's daughter and a janitor's son absolutely equally (trust me, there is a janitor's son at ISF) and the two kids can play cheerfully together. This is what make me think ISF is a great school.  A school of principles: 正體字 is worth the efforts, it's distinctively stupid not to learn both English and Chinese well in this place where east meets west, there are goods and bads in Chinese/Western and you need to know them both ... Show me a school that emphasises so much on the beauty of Chinese calligraphy and gives the teachers liberty to fully reveal the dark side of the cultural revolution, and I will eat it. I have lived in three continents and have yet come across a more balanced school. Not everyone can appreciate the beauty of ISF and not everyone deserves it.

HulkBuster

回覆 tingtingting 的帖子

Hohoho, if I had not read your posts before, I would have thought you were Jo-Ann...

Well, back to your point about 15-20% of ISF students receive subsidy from the school, that would make 3-4 kids per class receiving subsidy.  I am pretty sure that is not the case - well, at least not for our year.

I am sure there are a few exceptional cases at ISF but my point is when there are birthday parties at AMC/Beas River/HK Golf Club/HK Country Club almost every weekend and majority of the kids would go away on holiday almost every school holiday, would kids from underprivileged families be comfortable not being able to share similar experiences with their friends?  We cannot expect kids that young to have the wisdom to understand they are just there to receive good education and it does not really matter what their friends do after school.

ISF has a very good curriculum but it is not a school that is suitable for everyone.  As I said before, prospective parents should think about what they want for themselves and their kids and not only whether ISF is suitable for them but also whether they are suitable for ISF.

tingtingting

You're absolutely correct that birthday parties at AMC/Beas River/HK Golf Club/HK Country Club are common. But, I did along side with other parents sponsored a gathering at Pepperlunch not long ago.

tingtingting

I do agree that ISF (and IB generally for that matter) is not suitable for everyone.

HulkBuster

tingtingting 發表於 16-2-16 20:57
you can also see Subaru, Honda and Suzuki

Heehee, I mostly see 7-seaters with a chauffeur in the driver's seat along Kong Sin Wan Road every morning and afternoon...

tingtingting

At the risk of revealing who I am, I'm driving a Subaru.

tingtingting

Yet, I have to agree that the majority of ISF kids come from privileged families.

FattyDaddy

mafoonfoonyan 發表於 16-2-14 20:19
ISF是一所中國人的學校，學的是中國文化 ...

I missed this post ...

So I guess there is very little justification for the school to not implement 中國國民教育, I'm sure some will welcome it, some may not. In any case, another point to consider.

tingtingting

原帖由 FattyDaddy 於 16-02-16 發表
I missed this post ...

So I guess there is very little justification for the school to not implemen ...

Ironically, those teachers from the mainland (as opposed to teachers from say Taiwan) are most critical of the Chinese Communist Party. A teacher cried in front of me for she had to go through back there. If there's such a quiz, I'm quite sure that the ISF kids in the senior school know best about 三反五反、四面紅旗 ... alongside 李白、辛棄疾.

FattyDaddy

tingtingting 發表於 16-2-16 23:52
Ironically, those teachers from the mainland are most critical of the Chinese Communist Party. A te ...

Good to have teachers who are critical. If and when the school could no longer justify itself for not implementing China's National Education, hope these teachers will remain critical and won't unnecessarily oblige.

tingtingting

Please don't take me as an ISF advocate (I'm not and, for record, I'm not Jo-Ann) but I stick to my view that ISF is more balanced and global than most so-called "international schools" (please don't get me argue why a school with students who tend think things Chinese don't belong to the international/global arena. I'm not that low).

tingtingting

FattyDaddy 發表於 16-2-17 00:03
Good to have teachers who are critical. If and when the school could no longer justify itself for no ...

I guess I'm the lucky one. I'm surrounded by my personal fitness trainer, 1st violinists in HK Phil, lead dancers in HK Ballets and a gifted painter (descendant of "Stone Lau") who have survived the China's national education. I'm hopelessly optimistic I know, and hope I remain so.

HulkBuster

回覆 tingtingting 的帖子

The Jo-Ann thing was supposed to be a joke.  My apologies...

What I am trying to say is prospective parents should consider not only ISF's unique curriculum but also its culture, the school's management style and parents' background.  If all that matters is for your kids to build an excellent foundation in both English and Chinese (Mandarin + traditional Chinese characters) and your kids have the ability to master both languages without extra tuitions after school, ISF is not a bad choice.  I know a number of ISF kids do take extra English and/or Chinese tuitions, so it kind of defeats the purpose of going to a non-local school...