About transferring into a school in Hong kong

  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    cananda
    Posts
    7

    About transferring into a school in Hong kong

    How strict is the ESF system in placing children in years according to their birth year?
    From the website it looks like my child born 2004 would start year 1 in 2009, which is different than where he would place in Canada. He is taking 2 years of preschool (07/08, and 08/09 years) and will go into Kindergarten in 09/10 in Canada. We are thinking of moving to Hk for the following year when he should enter grade 1 if in canada but looks like he would enter year 2 in HK, thereby losing a year. How many years are there? Is it 12 years as it is in canada?

    also I was under the immpression from reading on this website that all ESF use the IB cirruculum throughtout all years. On their website the only reference I could find to the IB program was about taking the IB exam for teens. We are hoping to send him to am IB school here, so that a switch to Hong kong will be easier.

    Is is very difficult to get into a school half way through the year? If you live in the right catchement area and are only fluent in english are you guarenteed a spot? Is this different for the kindedergarten program vs. the primary program? I have younger child (born 2006) who will start his first year of preschool in the 09/10 year here, so should then go into K2 in hong kong, then the next year sme thing, if in canada he would do another year of K but in HK will be in primary 1. What happens when we return to canada, he will be a year older than all his class mates, which I do not want.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    HK Island
    Posts
    307

    Pretty strict, I think. My 2004 born will start this August, even though in the US (birth) / home country she wouldn't have start until a year later. My twins would be 2 classes in between (with a cutoff in Sept), but the were born end of November 2006 so I need to start applying for them next year already and only have 1 class in between. I am a little worried with it, but I figured their peers will be in the same class so they'll just have to go with the flow and if it doesn't work we'll take it from there! Once we would go back home / US, then most likely the twins will go back a class, which I have no problems with it. They could be slightly ahead, which is only an advantage. They're still young.

    At ESF Year 1 spots are hard to get, the other years, it really depends per school and class, although I have the impression that ESF is quite popular these days since education is good and the fees are not as crazy as other international schools (and that counts in days of recession and companies paying less for their employees).


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Pokfulam Hong Kong
    Posts
    73

    hello
    we are also canadian and have kids born in 2009. it has been explained to me that as the ESF system has 13 years, p1 is the equivalent to the canadian kindergarten.

    if you move here after your child has completed "canadian kindergarten" your child would likely be placed in p2. from seeing my p2 son playing with his toronto cousin who is in grade one, i can say they are at the same stages academically, etc.

    from what i understand, all esf schools are either using the IB (or PYP, which is the junior version of IB for the primary schools) system or in the process of transitioning to IB.

    mumtosophie is bang on as to acceptance into esf schools.

    hope this helps.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    DB
    Posts
    26

    Renaissance College and Discovery College oth offer the IB program - PYP/MYP/DP (although DC only goes up to Year 9 at the moment).

    All the other ESF schools offer PYP and DP, but do the GCSE exams in Year 11, so follow the UK National Curriculum for years 7 - 11 (more or les).

    However, I think both KGV and Shatin College are still offering some A-levels as well the DP (Please, correct me if I am wrong).


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    DB, Hong Kong
    Posts
    77

    They are strict.

    My daughter will be the oldest in her class because of when she was born in the year and is gifted but the schools I have been talking to refuse to put her up a year because she is a two months shy of cut off.

    This is even though we have documentation to show she has a high IQ.

    I am hoping that once she is in school they will realise that the work they are trying to teach her is too easy and put her up...


  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    DB
    Posts
    26

    A good shool should be able to offer extension programming for a gifted child - just as they should be able to offer remedial classes for those strugging. This is a much better scenario socially than is changing cohorts.

    Plus, high IQ does not necessarily mean that a child will be academically interested or ableL intelligence presents in different ways, and development may be asyncronous.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    DB, Hong Kong
    Posts
    77

    Thanks HappyV. I would be happy with that senario but I think in reality most schools are not equipped to deal with children functioning at a higher level than the average.

    I find that she is fine with children a little older (boys can be rather mean to her but older girls treat her kindly).