From ICS kindergarten to ESF primary school?

cmparent

Dear all

Is there a lot or only a few cases that ICS kindergarten students can be granted a chance to be interviewed at ESF primary school?

Will ICS kindergarten students have preference over other non-ESF international kindergarten or less preference?

As there is only three ESF kindergarten, they are too far from the place I live. I am struggling whether I should let my student to travel for more than one hour just for a kindergarten.

Please advise.

heratang

Why do you prefer ESF primary than ICS?

cmparent

Dear heratang

I have been told that ESF is long-established and probably more well-known. As ESF receives funding from the government, the facilities and teachers' qualities may be ensured.

Since I am not familar with ICS, we don't know much about the curriculum and teachers' qualities. Besides, I would like my child to know at least how to read and write Chinese so that she may work here in Hong Kong comfortably.

Last but not least, we may not send her to study abroad after her secondary school as we may not feel comfortable to stay apart with her for long. To complete her undergraduate study here in Hong Kong with a minimum ability in Chinese probably would be more enjoyable in terms of friendship building with classmates.

Thanks.

play

Many BK parents said ICS is better than ESFs.
But in general, ESF is more well known than ICS. ICS's fee is $64,000 yearly fee and debuture. Will it be worth? As compare with both facilties, ESF is prefer.
But ESF is increasing the fee and the moral of teacher is low due to salary cutting, it make me struggle.

Plan 1: study ESF kindergarten and enter ESF primary
Plan 2: study ICS kindergarten and try ICS and ESF admission test.

cmparent 寫道:
Dear heratang

I have been told that ESF is long-established and probably more well-known. As ESF receives funding from the government, the facilities and teachers' qualities may be ensured.

Since I am not familar with ICS, we don't know much about the curriculum and teachers' qualities. Besides, I would like my child to know at least how to read and write Chinese so that she may work here in Hong Kong comfortably.

Last but not least, we may not send her to study abroad after her secondary school as we may not feel comfortable to stay apart with her for long. To complete her undergraduate study here in Hong Kong with a minimum ability in Chinese probably would be more enjoyable in terms of friendship building with classmates.

Thanks.

tommyzoe

tommyzoe

I prefer to choose ICS because I concern both academic and spiritual development of my kid. But ESF must never do both. It is due to life of a teacher. All ICS teachers are christians. Of course, if you are not a christian, you may not think how important the spiritual dvelopment is.

God is Lord!

Darth

If you are talking about the interview per se, ESF interview a lot of children. And they do not only offer places to ESF kindergarteners.

As long as your child can communicate with others in English, that is good enough. And afterall, that is all the interview is about.

cmparent 寫道:
Dear all

Is there a lot or only a few cases that ICS kindergarten students can be granted a chance to be interviewed at ESF primary school?

Will ICS kindergarten students have preference over other non-ESF international kindergarten or less preference?

As there is only three ESF kindergarten, they are too far from the place I live. I am struggling whether I should let my student to travel for more than one hour just for a kindergarten.

Please advise.

lenglengma

lenglengma

lenglengma

lenglengma

lenglengma

I personally think that ICS teachers have very high standards both academically and morally when compared with ESF's.
Plus, I heard so many things about ESF teachers...how their salaries got cut, and they admitted that they only put 60% efforts in teaching kids because of their salary cut etc...
I just think that their values are distorted...
Also heard so many bad attitute problems with ESF teachers...some of them are quite arrogant.
I also think that the kids at ESF are not behaving too well...I know that drug problems are very severe in ESF secondary schools.
I would never want my kids to be educated in this environment (no offense).
Plus, you never know if the tuitions will be raised in the future.
ICS offers a loving environment where your kids feel belonged and loved.  This is something you will never get in ESF.
Moreover, facility wise (what most parents are concern about), ICS will offer a new state-of-the-art campus in the year 2007.

WYmom

lenglengma 寫道:
I personally think that ICS teachers have very high standards both academically and morally when compared with ESF's.
Plus, I heard so many things about ESF teachers...how their salaries got cut, and they admitted that they only put 60% efforts in teaching kids because of their salary cut etc...
I just think that their values are distorted...
Also heard so many bad attitute problems with ESF teachers...some of them are quite arrogant.
I also think that the kids at ESF are not behaving too well...I know that drug problems are very severe in ESF secondary schools.
I would never want my kids to be educated in this environment (no offense).
Plus, you never know if the tuitions will be raised in the future.
ICS offers a loving environment where your kids feel belonged and loved.  This is something you will never get in ESF.
Moreover, facility wise (what most parents are concern about), ICS will offer a new state-of-the-art campus in the year 2007.

Can you please advise further:

1. How about ICS' academic results?  Are they better than ESF's?

2. CAIS is also a Christian IS, is ICS better than CAIS?

lenglengma

Wymom,
My personal point of view for your questions is yes for question number 1 and yes for question number 2.  For more details, please see topic "ICS parents" for more ICS academic results.  
I personally think that ICS is standard is higher than CAIS.
Lenglengma

lenglengma

leehoma01,
May I know how long has your boy been studying in the ESF and how long has the other boy been studying at ICS?  If your child has been at ESF for his whole life and the other kid has been studying at ICS for only 2-3 years, then it would be unfair to compare both.
Drug problems..some of them have not been disclosed/reported.
I heard from ESF parents actually that they complain about how the ESF kids behave in secondary school, espcially the Shatin college kids.  There are many Shatin college kids living at where I live....I see them all the time...i just don't like the way they carry themselves...(no offense).
It is usual for ESF kids to take GCSE test (since they have been taking it for a long time), however, it is only voluntery to take for other International schools...many international schools take SAT's, TOEFL, AP, ACT's instead...they have totally different systems..you just can't compare.
How many International school need to take the GCSE test?  I want to know too...if there are under 10 International schools need to take the GCSE test and it is not unsual that the ESF rank high because they are only comparing themselves with the other 9.  If all International schools require to take GCSE and the ESF compares themselves with all other international schools in H.K., then the case would be different.
I am not saying that the ESF has low standards...I am just saying that you just can't simply compare an American system IS with a British or IB one (the ESF).  I was only saying that the ICS teachers have high academic standards too.

Lenglengma

WYmom

lenglengma 寫道:
Wymom,
My personal point of view for your questions is yes for question number 1 and yes for question number 2.  For more details, please see topic "ICS parents" for more ICS academic results.  
I personally think that ICS is standard is higher than CAIS.
Lenglengma

So you think ICS is better than ESF, CAIS... it seems to be very subjective and personal, or may be biased as your kids are all studying in ICS.  I remember that previously there was a mother sharing her bad experience of her son at ICS, but her message has been deleted.  So it really depends on your own experience, expectations and feelings.

In fact the 3 IS are running different systems, UK, US and Canadian.  ESF has over 12,000 students while ICS has 800 students.  I don't know ICS and CAIS, but with such a large population in ESF as compared to that of ICS, I believe there is large variation of student qualities in ESF as they won't screen students based on academic results.  So some can be very brilliant while some are very lousy.  Afterall, the school has provided a very systematic and structured cirriculum, yet parents also play a very important role to guide their own kids into the right track.

Your comments on Shatin College is quite negative, which is opposite to what I have heard.   I hope CherylMum can share her observations with us too.