Local schools

We are considering to relocate to HK and my biggest problem is that I don't seem to be able to find a place for my daughter (year 1) at a reasonably priced international school. My daughter speaks English and some Chinese Mandarin. Does anyone know how the local school system works? E.g. Whether they speak Chinese Mandarin, eligibility, application process, catchments areas, fees, etc?

The Education Bureau has a document about schooling for non-Chinese speaking children at: http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=4369&langno=1


The HK education system offers few opportunities for non-Chinese speaking children whose parents cannot afford international or ESF school fees. (ESF = English Schools Foundatio)


There are some threads on the Parenting Advice forum about local schools. You might search there.


We have had our son in a local primary school for Grades 1 and 2 and it has been a disaster, so we are leaving HK. Lots of homework and memorization. He is still in school and "classes" don't end until July 16.

From what I hear local schools are very old fashioned by Western standards, as aemom indicates. Rote learning. No focus on critical thinking.

While aemom is stating what she is experiencing, it isnt very good for new comers or potential new comers to see.....We have had our son in a local primary school for Grades 1 and 2 and it has been a disaster, so we are leaving HK....


There are quite a few direct subsidy schools accepting non-chinese speaking children. To name a few, St Margaret, Po Leung Kuk Camoles Chan, Pui Kiu etc. Their fees are very affordable (from HK$1200-HK$2400). However, my main concerns for you are:- (1) are you coming for this year's school term, because usually the application is one year in advance. Meaning you hand in your application now for 2009's intake. It will be a bit late as most of the schools have finished their registration for this year's intake. However, there might be some exceptional cases so you might hv to find out by contacting the schools directly. Also entrance age is 5-6 y.o. so may be your daughter can fit in for next year. (2) I dont think there are any 'real' govt international schools. The DS schools I mentioned above are still of a local cirriculum but less demanding in a way than local schools - as aemom said "lots of homework and memorization". But their attitude is more 'westernized'. DS schools are also very popular among locals so the entrance is quite competitive. You just have to find out directly with them. As for the information from EMB for schooling for non-chinese speaking children - it wont be very helpful in your case as the schools it mentioned are mostly for minority groups, i.e. Indians, Pakistanis, Napalese etc.


You have my full sympathy as I was in the same situation last year. Pity I just threw away all the school info. as I am preparing my coming back to HK in August, otherwise I could be more helpful in giving you the info. i found. Financially we cannot afford international schools so I was browsing all the opportunities (local schools and DS schools) but finally we decided to go for ESF. The fees are expensive but slightly cheaper than international schools. We wl be living in the N.T. so rent is cheaper that we can squeeze a bit more for our daughter's school fees. But I am sure the environment is more suitable for my daughter as she is kind of laidback and is non-chinese speaking.


Good luck and if you need more information (and if I can still remember), pls do write again.

Thank you all for all the information! It is really difficult. If I do not get a confirmation with a school and take a gamble, I may end up having to teach my daughter by myself at home for month and month before a place turns up which is not really ideal. Also for the catchment rules, if we rent a place near a school we like, but a school place turns up in a different catchment area, would they consider us at all? (I will put my daughter on the waiting list for all the schools but we could only live in one place) I don't mind moving, but would they need us to live in that area before they even consider us? If they would, can I break the lease with my landlord? Is there a penalty for leaving early?

There are some good local schools, but I would bet they were almost certainly private rather than government and supply is limited and competition just as intense perhaps more so than the mainstream international or ESF schools. As mighty said Doicesican (I think that is how you spell it) Boys and Girls school have lots of oxbridge and Harvard alumni amongst their graduates, I am not sure how well those two cater to Non Chinese speaking children though. A friend of mine who is expat sent her kids to Ling Nan primary school which is the of shoot of the college and she is very happy with the education and chose that school specifically so she was not sending her children to a school where there were lots of other kids from privileged back grounds, which I found interesting.


I think its only the ESF that uses the catchment area system, If a place at a school in a different catchment area opens up I think it would depend on your position on the waiting list relative to other kids who do live in the area, but I am not a parent so I don't know. Break lease penalties very from agreement to agreement, there is a two month security deposit that is standard with Hong Kong leases so I think that would be the minimum. I know one guy that signed a lease that had a years notice for some reason, so it depends on the lease that you signed, be prepared for a two month minimum though. I don't think that is a viable strategy of moving unless you know for a fact that a few places are opening up in a particular catchment area.


Anyway an ESF parent is a better guide than I would be, I am a graduate, but hardly know the rules for admission eligibility. In fact in my day admissions didn't seem to be a problem at least not that I was aware of which is strange because there seems to be less expats now then there were prior to handover


http://www.esf.edu.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=1039&langno=1


admissions page which says you can apply for central admission for year one or seven students otherwise you have to apply to the school in your zone directly.

Thank you Digital Blonde for all the useful feedback here and the ones you gave to my other question re Discovery Bay. Do you know whether they teach in Cantonese or Mandarin or English in Ling Nan primary school? Same question to Mighty re the schools you mentioned e.g. St Margaret, Po Leung Kuk Camoles Chan, Pui Kiu?


Re moving, I mean if I live in catchment A and have applied for a school in catchment B, if B offers my daughter a place then I will move to catchment B. But from what you said DB, you'll have to be in the catchment area before they'll offer you a place. Am I right?

Well that is what the admissions page on the website says. i.e. once you live in a catchment area only then you can apply to a specific school, unless your child is year one or year seven, then you can apply centrally. I don't know whether Lingnan Primary school is taught in English the college which is affiliated in has a good reputation, I havn't spoken to my friend in a while and dont have her number anymore so I cant help with that. the website is in Chinese which is not a good sign. You should try either of the following two though, I think they have the best reputations as far as I am concerned. when growing up the boys school was the best in sports and I know quite a few students that went on to Oxbrige or Ivy league universities.


http://www.dbs.edu.hk/dbspd/index.php


http://www.dgs.edu.hk/display.php


the former is the boys school and neither is coeducational which is not ideal and may be off putting, but does have a primary school, the latter is the girls school which I am not sure offers primary education. Both sites are in English and I am pretty sure that is the language of instruction and I have never met someone from either of those schools that did not speak English fluently. DBS is very competitive to get into academically though.

Hi Bella's mum, as far as I know, St. Margaret and Po Leung Kuk Camoes teach most of their classes in English and they can cater non-chinese speaking students. This is my first hand information because I talked to the school before deciding ESF. They teach chinese subjects in Mandarin. I know some students in Po Leung Kuk Camoes skip chinese classes and they study French instead. This school staff really impressed me by replying to my emails within the same day with detailed answers. This school is very strong at languages. Pui Kiu is also good but comparatively more Chinese than English. It has Japanese and Korean students and 1 or 2 western kids there so I am sure it is OK for non-chinese speaking students. You have not said whether Bella is for this year's intake or next year as there is 1 year gap between international schools and local schools. I can see that you have lots in your mind but if you are talking about this year's intake, you chance is even narrower or your choice is really limited. Is there a possibility for you to fly here, look and talk the school directly, as for this year's intake the time is really not much left? I saw one member suggested Hong Lok Yuen to you instead of DB. My daughter was in Hong Lok Yuen's Nursery when she was 1.5 y.o. It is really a good place but sadly I cant afford their school fees (debenture etc). I have a feeling that this Hong Lok Yuen school has more seats than the others so worth a try. Did you say you or husband will work in TST? So shuttle bus to Tai Wo Train Station, from there to TST is only 30 mins. If you can avoid the rush hours then it is quite a nice ride too. Dont know if you wld consider Yuen Long. There is a small school called Gigamind Primary School. Nice christian school and good staff and the best thing is the class size : 15 approx.

Just a short note to DB, many locals are fighting to get into ESF and some even said it is the best legacy from our colonial age. Thats why it is so difficult to get in!!Didnt know that you were an ESF student (^-^). Island School, I bet. My 2 step daughters went there too and they just love the school. One is now studying vet in Cambridge (^-^).

Hi back to Bella's mum, I just noticed from your reply in another thread that you cant travel because u hv a baby and a 4.5 year old. Now if you are thinking of local schools then time for application is from July-Sept 2008 for 2009's intake. So how about going to an English kindergarten and apply for local schools for next year's intake. Just a thought. I was turned down by Renaissance College (ESF private school) because they said my daughter is too young and is not emotionally prepared for a big school like theirs so suggested me to go to a kindergarten instead.

Actually I'm an SIS boy, but I got expelled in year 12 and had to go to Island school for year 13. The shame and scandal of it all!!!!. The good thing for me about the ESF at least what I am thankful for, along with what I think was a great education, is that expulsion did not appear on my record for when I applied to universities and I ended up getting in to a great Uni after reforming my ways. Amazing what a simple transfer will do to a 16/17 year old middle class kids psychology, and I am pretty sure the teachers knew that it would have that effect.

Hi Bella's mum,


We were in the same situation two years ago. We found out we were moving to HK in June and of course there were no places available. Our first choice was an ESF school but would have gone anywhere. We ended up sending our son to 'Woodlands International School'. It is in Wanchai and teaches until 7 or 8 years old (P1 and P2 in British system). It was actually a very good school. Alot of people who come here at short notice send there children there until they get a school of there choice. The teachers were fantastic. We ended up getting a spot at the ESF school in our district a few months later.

Good luck - I know it seems like you will have to home school but a place always seem to pop up somewhere. ESF will definitely help you.