Discovery Bay School

Are there any expats out there who are putting their kids in the SKH Wei Lun Primary School in DB?


If so, may I share your views on this school please?


We are interested in putting our son into a Chinese School and would like to do some research on this School.


Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Adele you are too sweet, thanks for the lead. I am impressed at the amount of knowledge you already have of HKG. You are doing your homework well!


Eco-mama

Hi,

I'm looking to relocate back to Hong Kong from the US (Boston) with my family and am looking for some insights into schools in DB. We're considering English speaking schools (since I'm Chinese but my husband is American).

Can you tell me about DBIS, Discovery College, or other good options? (reputation, quality of education-- teachers, students, waitlist and possibility of getting in, etc.)


My daughter will be 3 years and 4 months by September 2009. I don't know if I'm already too late in looking to enroll her. It would be for nursery school. Preschools in DB (Marina area) would also be considered. But wouldn't it be easier to get her into nursery at one of the schools with K-7, to guarantee a spot going forward?


Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you even know of people that I can email and speak with, even better!!!


In dire need of help...

Unfortunately, this will reach you way too late, but it may still be of help to others...


A very good preschool near the DB marina is DMK. They have a good reputation, great teachers and small class sizes (afternoon section at least). Some parents don't like it because they think it's too structured and "academic", but I beg to differ. The children at DMK are happy and not overworked, plus they are given the opportunity to develop solid reading and phonic skills.


Another DB preschool is Sunshine House, which is located in the plaza. A lot of parents seem to like Sunshine House, but I personally feel that DMK is better. Sunshine House is quite opposite to DMK in that it's rather unstructured and less academic in its approach. I guess it all depends on what style you prefer, but I don't believe DMK to be "too academic". DBIS also has a preschool near the plaza, but I don't know much about that except that I think it costs quite a bit more - and they have a nice outdoor playground!


As for primary schools, there are only three in DB: SKH Wei Lun, DBIS and Discovery College. SKH Wei Lun is a Chinese school, but apparently a good one. If you need an English language school, then it's just DBIS and Discovery College. Unfortunately, though, I have heard negative things about both schools. DBIS has slightly smaller class sizes and some secondary years, but costs a lot more and doesn't seem to have a very good reputation. Discovery College has larger class sizes (30 kids per class) and costs more than a regular ESF school but less than DBIS. It has a complete secondary division and seems to have a better reputation, although cracks are beginning to appear in the veneer.


Discovery College is relatively new and boasts a large modern school building with loads of state-of-the-art features and facilities. However, looks can be deceiving! Problems that I have heard about or know of include a lack of school culture (too big and new, so it lacks that sense of belonging), heavy emphasis on the arts (drama, music, visual arts) at the expense of the sciences, many married couples on the teaching staff (might compromise the teaching quality, as how do you get rid of a "bad apple" when he/she is married to another staff member?), and a teaching staff heavily skewed towards Aussies and Kiwis. The school administration, in fact, is dominated (if not completely so) by Aussies and Kiwis, and some parents have complained that, for an international school, even the library is overly influenced by materials from these two countries!


In addition to the above, there have been issues with poor parent communications, an intolerance for non-"cookie cutter" kids (even in the primary division), draconian policies and disciplinary measures, and little support for children with learning/special needs. I have heard of a few first-hand cases where severe measures were taken against young children, instead of finding a more workable, positive solution to resolve issues.


Clearly, I know a lot of parents with children at Discovery College, some of whom are happy, and just as many who are not (don't know so many with kids at DBIS, but I had asked around at one point for feedback). Guess anyone interested would need to check things out themselves and ask around.


Just remember - don't be fooled by appearances! Big and flashy is not always better. A good case in point is Lantau International School (LIS), which is also located on Lantau but not in DB (a school bus service is provided to DB, though). The school is literally a shack in a small village and has minimal facilities, however, the class sizes are considerably smaller and the teachers are apparently great. I have heard quite a few positive comments about LIS, which costs no more than a regular ESF school.


Hope you found the right school in the end, and that others find the above helpful. :-)