Choosing a pre school for my son

Dear all


I have just came to hong kong from canada. I have been struggling to choose a pre school for my three-years-old son as he doesn't speak or read any chinese. would you please suggest any reputable pre school in hong kong. i live in the chai wan area. thanks

Any of the international schools have associated pre-schools. I would be wary of many of the so-called "English-speaking" privately run pre-schools. Then again these can be godo for your son to pick up Cantonese. Alternatively many parents in Hong Kong seem to prefer better quality English-medium education and then supplement with Chinese lessons. Really comes down to budget - also how long do you envisage being in Hong Kong? It's a good idea to get names down on waiting lists early here!

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate.

I have gone to couple international schools in tai tam so far. these are tutor time, etonhouse and woodland. have you ever heard of them? If you do, any comments?

Thanks in advance.

tonyduke:


Welcome! I have a friend who teaches for Woodland. My son went there for a short time many years ago. It is a very solid Preschool program with good teachers. My friend, as a teacher, has her issues with them, but the program and quality of education for little ones is certainly not one of them. I've heard nothing but raves from other friends whose children went through TutorTime. They, (Western Expats) also came out with a surprisingly solid start in Mandarin, (they teach in both English and Mandarin, or they used to.) If you may be here for a fair length of time, that may be a consideration. Eton is not open yet, so no idea how well they will do. My kids both ended up going through The Sunshine House, so sad it is gone now. I know Woodlands, and I THINK TutorTime both have good track records of getting their tiny graduates into the International schools, even those like German-Swiss which have strict standards to pass.


At 3, and new to HK: your son may be put on a waiting list, but if you can accept a spot in the afternoon sessions, the wait should be short. Then when a morning slot opens up he'll have priority to be moved to it, if you want.


Good Luck.

tonyduke, wlecome to Hong Kong! I was in a similar situation as you. I moved from Singapore not very long ago and enrolled my child in etonhouse. Not only do they have a solid reputation but their environment is WOW. i was happy to see that their campus in HK is as beautiful as the ones they have in SG. lovely views and my daughter just loved everything about the place. their mandarin programme, atleast the one in SG is very strong. So lets hope they keep that up in HK. I have heard good things about Woodlands too. Go with your instincts and where you feel your child will be the happiest. You know your boy best. Good luck!

Thank you all for your comments and suggestion. I have tried to visit couple international schools with my son last week. We especially like the area near stanley - nice natural environment which is rare in HK. I would love my son to go to school in such or comparative atmosphere. However, many of the school were closed at that time so we could only view the campuses from outside. It's great that etonhouse will have an open house coming up. I also scheduled another two viewing appointments with woodland and tutortime. I'll keep you updated. Thank you again.

Tutor Time or Eton House are definitely worth a look - very easy commute from Chai Wan, although they may not have a schoolbus (especially EH) which is starting with a few classes. Both are bilingual.


You may also consider Island Children's Montessori in Lei King Wan, especially if you're keen on Montessori. Much cheaper than the first two options, too.


The previous poster that said:

"Any of the international schools have associated pre-schools." is unfortunately misinformed.


All the best.

Regards,

Ruth