請問有冇小學傳統小學，中學國際學校，分享？

IvyKBB

Hi ,

請問大家有冇小朋友小學傳統小學，中學轉去國際學校過來人分享面對問題？thanks

markBB

My good friend (the mum) son is like this case. The boy spent the primary years at a local school in order to build a stronger Chinese foundation and then switched to IS. They are a Cantonese speaking family, but the boy English standard, including  spoken, is quite high, so has no problem so far.
The thing surprised my friend is she received more enquiry/complain emails very often. The IS in fact more demanding than the local secondary school the boy gave up when switching to the current IS. The teacher pays a lot more attention to the kids, and they will feedback to parents whenever they have concerns.  

markBB

And being the parents, the changes in fact much more than the kids. They can’t help on the HW anymore since most of them are project based and even in foreign language. The only thing the father can assist is the IT system.

964000

IvyKBB 發表於 18-2-24 23:02
Hi ,

請問大家有冇小朋友小學傳統小學，中學轉去國際學校過來人分享面對問題？thanks

我覺得國際學校最大分別的是幼稚園和小學，這段時期小孩子最需要得到啟發，亦會影響小朋友的性格知和自信心的培養，如果想讀國際學校真的愈小開始愈好。

JanetCMC

我是由私立(活動教學)小學升讀私立中學
primary 1- primary 6
Grade 7- Grade 12

2間都是 IB 學校
但就不是國際學校

感覺上是學術程度高了很多
而且要用差不多半年時間去適應

rai_fc

回覆 markBB 的帖子

Possible to share which school?I am thinking about this path as well.

markBB

The boy settled at CDNIS. He got offer from GSIS, ESF and ISF as well. But they picked CDNIS at the end because the others are either as pushy as local schools or relatively weak in Chinese language.  

s7824

markBB 發表於 18-2-25 09:06
My good friend (the mum) son is like this case. The boy spent the primary years at a local school in ...

What did the son got complained by the school? In what IS is more demanding than local schools? Thx for sharing

rai_fc

回覆 markBB 的帖子

Wow!  The kid must do well in local school as well.  Not easy to get offer from GSIS and ISF.

JanetCMC

我也是弘立的畢業生來啊

GillianChung

964000 發表於 18-2-25 09:30
我覺得國際學校最大分別的是幼稚園和小學，這段時期小孩子最需要得到啟發，亦會影響小朋友的性格知和自信 ...

Agreed! 到中學先轉其實小朋友個mindset已經定左，未必再有用去幫助小朋友啟發，如果選擇國際條路應該小學就要開始，而且而家好多間國際學校啲中文程度都變高，唔似以前。

markBB

s7824 發表於 18-2-25 14:20
What did the son got complained by the school? In what IS is more demanding than local schools? Thx ...

Local school focus on results. As long as you got good grades, which my fd’s son did, then you will be fine. While IS focus on the process, so my friend always received calls from school said her son is lack of effort or not show interest on class and the school want to see how to help to improve this situation. Of cox my fd likes to see this kind of “happy complains”, just need some time to get used to it.

markBB

GillianChung 發表於 18-2-25 17:56
Agreed! 到中學先轉其實小朋友個mindset已經定左，未必再有用去幫助小朋友啟發，如果選擇國際條路應該小學 ...

I think it really depends on the objective of the family. There is never too early or too late for a change. Different IS has diff requirement, first ISF isn’t IS, it’s just a private school. Schools like GSIS focus on academic and my fd prefer MYP so they picked CDNIS. The only thing surprised her is CDNIS actually quite demanding, her son bows need to spend at l sat 1-2hrs on homework and revision. Good thing is her son loves the school and classes so no need to monitor or order him to do the works, everything is automatic. This is what make my fd feels like they made the right decision to change the system.

GillianChung

markBB 發表於 18-2-25 21:54
I think it really depends on the objective of the family. There is never too early or too late for a ...

I dun really agree as take myself as the example, I studied in HK local school then moved to Canada with family in grade 9 and finished my education there and lived there to work for a few years before I moved back to Hk. I have tried both local and oversea study n what I felt it really matters how early u study in the other system as it does make a change in learning. My mind and character have been fixed (HK students normally are not that curious and talkative and not willing to ask questions). I could adapt better if I could move to canada earlier (I would say primary school) but not until after I was in high school.

GillianChung

markBB 發表於 18-2-25 21:54
I think it really depends on the objective of the family. There is never too early or too late for a ...

Continued from above as not enough space to write...

Living in oversea is surely not a problem but it seems a bit hard to get into the mainstream of work life at overseas (in the white people society) as I have grown up in HK until teenage. Unlike my little sister she went there at kindergarten so she could really well adapt to the school and work lives there.  She is always confident and has very good ability and skills in analysis and problem solving. Now she is even working for the Canadian government. That’s the difference I meant. The mindset and the character.

GillianChung

markBB 發表於 18-2-25 21:54
I think it really depends on the objective of the family. There is never too early or too late for a ...

Want to add something.  My cousin is a doctor and he advised the golden time to shape a kid’s character is from 0-5 years old. And how parents and school work together to inspire a kid’s way of thinking is important, not only to his/ her school learning but also affects his/ her whole life as well. So you can see it’s always better to give inspiration early to kids but not wait until they grow older...

kckc856

GillianChung 發表於 18-2-25 22:45
Want to add something.  My cousin is a doctor and he advised the golden time to shape a kid’s char ...

Agree

markBB

But all you said is based on the assumption that IS education is better than local school or like someone said IB is better than DSE. I can’t agree on that. Nowadays what matter is to give a way that the kids enjoy and As a parent this is what we can do. Honestly world had changed and we can’t use the old thinkings and apply this to our kids. Like nowaday youtubers made much more than the medical profession and at the same time has a much happier life. Too bad I don’t have kid, but if I am the parent, I will probably do the same thing as my friend, since I also agree that Chinese language is important, but again this is just personal preference, no right or wrong

mandy_ng207

回覆 markBB 的帖子

There was previously some debates about the importance of learning Chinese for 21st century kids, and no definite conclusion can be reached. To me, the prime consideration in choosing a school for my kid rests in the interest of the kid. His character, the school’s location (closer to school means more time for sleep, rest and play) are my main concerns. Indeed, after studying half a term at an IS kindergarten, I do notice differences in kids character and parenting approach when compared to local school kids. My local school friends complained about homework, or put focus on homework (for those high achievers) while we IS parents do focus on play. My son is inventive at playing toys (he can build guns out of lego and imagine all sorts of plays with his Tomica cars) while the local school parents usually buy toys with standardized methods of play (e.g 扭蛋機、vtech toys) for their kids. Indeed the academic standard is way higher at local schools (even at kindergarten level) and the knowledge foundation could be much better (recalling my own study at local school, the exercises and dictations do help), however I have to admit that I am not as innovative as my son. And it does make a difference when these kids grow up (if you ever have chance to work with foreigners or overseas migrants returning to HK, u will know). I am not saying that IS is better than locals, or vice versa, but I do agree that a kids character is shaped at young age, if you decide to switch the system at teenage you won’t be able to build the character from the alternative system (even for an IS kid that changed to local at teenage, I bet he/she will keep his/her curious character and keep asking questions after lessons, like what we observed in the non-JUPAS students at universities).

mandy_ng207

Back to the primary question in this topic, I have nothing to share but if one desires to change because he/she does not fit in local schools, please take the courage to do so. You will regret if you didn’t make the change and in the end your kids hates study because he/she was not in the suitable system.