Hong Kong International School

Hello,

I'd be grateful if you could help me with the following questions regarding Grade 7 at HKIS:

What type of work load could a child in 7th grade expect? 2-3 hours of homework per night? Any on weekends?

Do the students readily accept new students or is it difficult to fit in?

Have the students generally gone to school together since they were young?

Do you feel there are serious drug or alcohol problems?


Are the teachers very strict with behaviour?

Are the students able to choose electives?

Do the students stay with the same peer group during all of their classes?

Are the students grouped according to their abilities?If so, how many levels of groupings are there?

Are the students very active socially?

Do the kids like their teachers without feeling intimidated by them? Do students find the work interesting and challenging without having to spend their entire life including weekends studying?

I'm told there is a large Asian population. Would a visibly Western (Caucasian) child be readily accepted and comfortable?

We are considering HKIS or an ESF school, probably West Island School or South Island School. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We don't know where we will send our child for university, but I like the IB program of the ESF schools or the Advanced Placement at HKIS, but I don't know much about it. Again, I know you are all very busy, but it'd really help me so much if you could share your experiences with me.

Thanks again.

I have two children at HKIS. Both have been at HKIS for 1 year, as we relocated from the US to Hong Kong in the summer of 2008. The youngest completed first grade and the oldest completed fifth grade at HKIS, so I cannot comment directly about seventh grade but I can answer your general questions.


First, it is a terrific school, and from my experience probably among the best.

Homework for my fifth grader averaged about 45 minutes per night, plus another 20-30 minutes of individual band instrument practice.

It is extremely easy to fit in. It is mostly a school of expats. Children are coming and going all the time. It is very rare for a child to be at HKIS his entire school career. Most kids seem to be there for 3-5 years, and I've seen several in my childrens class who where there for only one year.

I did not observe any drug/alcohol problems. I only knew a few older high school students, and they were all exceedingly well behaved, but I imagine some things like that must exist at some level.

Teachers seem generally firm on obedience but I wouldn't call it strict. They take serious behaviour problems very seriously. They have good guidance couselours as well.

Yes, they choose some electives.

No, they do not stay with same peer group constantly.

Yes, they some special groupings & work for special abilities. However, note that most of the children attending this school are high performers. The average performance is very high.

Students seem pretty active socially. My kids regularly have play dates with other students.

The teachers are not intimidating. The teachers I've met seem to be very very good teachers in general.

We did not spend entire weekends studying. Weekend homework was no more than weekday homework. Homework in general was challenging and fun.

I'd say 40-50% of the student population is Caucasian. No problem fitting in.

Hope that helps.