Korean International School

Can anyone comment on this school? I was quite impressed by what I read in its website. I hope someone out there can provide some objective comments on it.

I too am very interested in this school. I currently live in the U.S. but will be touring HK in two weeks to check out the schools and apartments there. If all goes well, we expect to live in HK for two years starting in January. This particular school really appealed to me because I am half Korean (half caucasian) and really want my children (quarter Korean) to learn Korean and have some exposure to their Korean heritage. In the english speaking program of the school, each child is required to adopt a second language and the choices are Korean or Mandarin Chinese. My belief is that it isn't too difficult to get in as there isn't as much interest in the English speaking section of their program due to so much competition from other international schools. Also, it is one of the few Korean schools that accept non Korean students. I read somewhere there are only slightly less than 5000 ethnic Koreans in HK. I believe their Korean speaking program is pretty popular. I know that schools such as HKIS and CIS are extremely difficult to get into, especially since everyone seems to want to get their kids in!

If anyone else knows anything about this school or knows people who's kids attend KIS, please provide me with your input! Thanks!

The school is really quick in responding to enquiries and applications. I sent in an application for my girl to enter Year 7 next year, and within a few days, they contacted me to arrange an interview. The interview will be conducted by the principal himself. My daughter is now studying in Malaysia so I will have to fly her over.

dctoki, all the best to you and your kids. Do contact the school before you arrive in Hong Kong so that you can arrange a visit beforehand. Judging by the courtesy of their staff over the phone, I am sure they will be happy to oblige.

While I am sure that KIS has its merits, it does not seem to be the first choice of all of the Korean families I know.

My mother is Korean but my sister and I went to ESF schools. All of my mother's friends sent their children to ESF schools. All of the Korean children I have and am tutoring study in other international schools or continuously try to transfer to other schools. Many of these parents still care about their children learning Korean and about Korea, so send them to KIS on Saturdays for Korean lessons.

I've never sat down and had a long discussion on why they have reached this decision, thus can only speculate. One major concern they have is whether their child can learn how to speak English fluently. I think they are concerned about the English speaking environment rather than the English teaching quality. My impression is that the children, even in the English section, do not practice their English enough outside their lessons. I am guessing that this might have something to do with the student population.

Compared with more popular international schools, they do not post any examination results or record of where their students continue their higher education. Proven track record of results of education, such as sending children to prestigious schools, heavily influence parent's decisions.

However, I believe that it is still possible to send a child to KIS, teacher him/her how to speak English fluently and for him/her to end up in a prestigious university. Schools do not independently churn out model students and citizens, it also depends on the student and parents. Clearly KIS is a good option for some families.

The desire to send children to other international schools is probably further pushed by social factors, attaining something difficult or jumping on the bandwagon. The most important thing is to find a good school that suits your child, so that he/she will be motivated to learn.

Try involving your child in choosing the right school. See if you can go on a tour and observe a class together. Get your child to learn more about the school and what they offer. Provide a couple of options and go from there. Apply to a few schools, since it is quite competitive to enter some international schools.

KIS has gotten a lot better recently. Their English program used to poor but they have made good progress over the last couple of years.
They would be about on par with Delia School now. Most students that go are Korean of course so it doesn't have quite so diverse enrollment.