Rennaisance College Ma On Shan

My son is due to start in the senior school next year. I continue to get mixed reports about this school. I keep hearing that the school is struggling with dicipline, they are having difficulty in ensuring the children are speaking English in the classrooms and have given up on trying to establish it in the school yard. I know they are new and having teething problems, but it seems the school is fully subscribed now and I am keen to hear how what parents are thinking.

I'm curious as to where you are hearing these things. It seems like heresay to me. For a new school, they are definitely not having teething problems. I've seen some new schools and they are far from the typical "new schools" I've seen.


Renaissance is different from the "traditional" ESF school that used to forbid Cantonese in the school. Renaissance uses English and Mandarin as its teaching medium and both are welcomed and encouraged in the classroom but they will not marginalize any language. Meaning, they aren't going to forbid this language or that language. This is what they consider "respect" in our global community. As well, being a "International Baccalaureate" school (see its philosophy www.ibo.org), it strives for international community, global understanding, ...internationalism in its broadest sense for its students. Thus, it would be contradictory for them to "forbid" this language or that language. Actually, one of the hallmarks of an IB program is a bilingual education and that is why they allow both languages and also support any other Mother tongue language (like Cantonese) because trilingualism would be even better. Their philosophy is on their website. If that's not the type of education you want for your children, then Renaissance won't suit your family. If you want to learn more, I believe they are developing a language document to share with parents to explain its philosophy and to dispell the hearsay.

Thank you for your response QuiltingMommy.

Are you a parent of a child at Rennaissance? Or are you involved in ESF - you seem to have lots of ESF "insight" that you have been sharing.

I actually wanted to hear from parents.I am au fait with IB. Let's just say I am cautious as I have bitter pills in my mouth from previous ESF experiences and so am very wary of how so often wht they say and explain in philosophy does not always ring true. Quite frankly heresay (from reputable sources) can be very insghtful.

Anyway.....since this original post, I have made mydecision and have decided on other options.

By the way, I would never expect ANY language to be forbidden. I do expect a level of control over the use of English language in the classroom (when this is the language of instruction). Otherwise, tell me why I am paying International school fees? The respect in our global community needs to cut both ways.

Language spoken in the ESF schools (I do not have any knowledge of ESF Ed Services eg. Renaissance) in the classrooms is English only. In the majority if not all, the playground laguage is also English and this has always been actively encouraged. They are English Schools after all.