Australian International School

Can anybody tell me how AIS is as a school? The latest thread I could find about it is 3 years old. We are moving to HK by March next year from Australia and scrambling to find an appropriate school for our son who is now 5.


Can someone also tell me how is the commute from HK island to Kowloon Tong? How long is the school bus ride?


Thanks!

We have 2 kids at AIS - yr 2 and yr 4. They started in Reception. IMO AIS is a very good infants and primary school by HK standards (where, frankly, everything is a compromise). It is not a GPS-type Aust school even though the fees could fool you into thinking otherwise. Secondary is another matter, but that wont be an issue for you for some time if at all.


The school has a a very Aust feel about it, esp if coming from Syd, as it follows the NSW curriculum, so kids learn about Aust history, Aborigines etc and have continuity both educationally and culturally. The latter can be a big issue if you are out of Aust for more than a couple of years, and many of us who came for 2 - 3 ended up staying for much longer. A friend whose children had grown up in HK (did not go to AIS) before moving to Singapore recounts a story about his son going thru immigration in Singapore and asking "Dad, why do we always have to pretend to be Australian?"!


The younger AIS years have a good balance of Aust and local kids. This matters, as local kids tend to have very structured extra curricular activities and so are not generally up for play dates etc.


Teachers are pretty much all Aust or NZ, relatively young and enthusiastic, and there is a good school community, which, if you get involved, will help you more quickly settle into HK.


The only real negative i have is that the sports program is not particularly good or diverse. Its no worse than other HK infant/primary schools, but it doesn't have the sort of emphasis on sport one would expect from an Aust school. That said, there are areas in which this is changing (eg, rugby) and, like everything in HK, there are other ways to access sports such as through the clubs.


Time to travel from the Island depends on where you are going to live. Bus pick up on the south side of HK Island would probably start at around 7am (classes start early, at 8.15am) and this could mean a very long daily return journey for a 5 yr old. If you live in Mid levels, it would probably take 30-40 mins in morning peak hour, so a 7.30am pick up. By comparison, if catching the MTR from Central, it would be 20 mins or so incl transfer at Mong Kok. If you decide to get a car and drive, which is no more difficult than in large Aust cities, you will spend a fair bit of time sitting in heavy "tunnel" traffic, esp going back to the Island after drop off.


You may be aware that the vast majority of AIS families live on "The Dark Side", esp around Sai Kung/Clear water Bay, Kowloon Tong and near the Kowloon Cricket Club in Jordan, which seems to be the club of choice for many AIS families. This would probably mean that your son would be unlikely to have many school friends living nearby if you are on the Island. If you are keen on AIS, maybe give some thought to checking out places to live off the Island. You get the added benefit of a lot more 'bang for your buck' rent wise and, if you are a non-working spouse, you would have an instant potential social network living nearby.


You probably already know that there are waiting lists for younger children in particular at most international schools, and AIS is no different. If your relocation package includes a debenture, you may be able to jump the queue.


Good luck with the move. If history is any guide, you may well hate HK for the first 6 - 12 mths, and then be reluctant to ever leave. Happy to answer any Qs - just message me.

Thank you so much for such a detailed response! Your answer has given me a much clearer picture. Will definitely message you if I have more questions.

Hi Lyn, there are a number of more recent threads onn AIS in the "moving to HK" forum. Use the search function at top of that page. Cheers