Bilingual Schools in Hong Kong
Bilingual Schools in Hong Kong
Does anyone have experience with the various bilingual schools in Hong Kong? I understand that a number of them have appeared in recent years and I am interested to learn how they are as a place to work and also as a school for my children. The names that I have come across are Chinese International School, Independent Schools Foundation, Victoria Shanghai Academy, Renaissance College and Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau. Any help will be greatly appreciated as I will move to HK and would like to start exploring my options. Thank you.
Renaissance College is part of ESF (English Schools Foundation) and is not a bilingual school but a private international school with English instruction. It has a good reputation. What do you mean by bilingual? You need Cantonese for the local schools but it seems that the Chinese language taught in international schools is Mandarin.
I know a few teachers from Chinese International that seem very satisfied. Students are very high-achievers.
I was at a function at Victoria Shanghai last week. I think it's a more local population. Nice facilities and a great view near the Aberdeen yacht club.
Hong Kong seems to have a million schools yet waiting lists everywhere.
I know a few teachers from Chinese International that seem very satisfied. Students are very high-achievers.
I was at a function at Victoria Shanghai last week. I think it's a more local population. Nice facilities and a great view near the Aberdeen yacht club.
Hong Kong seems to have a million schools yet waiting lists everywhere.
As stated, Renaissance is NOT bilingual.
Bilingual schools are strange places to work. I worked in one of the ones mentioned. You can't communicate with more than half of your colleagues as they are mainland Chinese (unless you speak Manadarin). Staff meetings/PD sessions take twice as long with translations.
They Chinese way of governing a school is frustrating to someone coming from an international school circuit. The curriculum can be a complete mess.
I'm back in an IS now, and I will NEVER work in a bilingual school again. They look good on paper and have the longest waiting lists of students but they're a pain to work in. And I saw too many bright students fall by the wayside as they just couldn't grasp a second language and struggled overall as a result.
Bilingual schools are strange places to work. I worked in one of the ones mentioned. You can't communicate with more than half of your colleagues as they are mainland Chinese (unless you speak Manadarin). Staff meetings/PD sessions take twice as long with translations.
They Chinese way of governing a school is frustrating to someone coming from an international school circuit. The curriculum can be a complete mess.
I'm back in an IS now, and I will NEVER work in a bilingual school again. They look good on paper and have the longest waiting lists of students but they're a pain to work in. And I saw too many bright students fall by the wayside as they just couldn't grasp a second language and struggled overall as a result.
Thank you for the clarification. I guess Renaissance College is off the list then.
I am actually interested in schools that provide instructions in both Mandarin and English as my wife is Chinese and this is one of the reasons for our move to HK. We would like our children's Mandarin and English to be near-native levels or as close as we can get them.
Does anyone have first hand experiences with the other schools? Maybe at least any schools to avoid? Chinese International sounds like a good place if they have openings.
seinfeld> If one can work through some of these language issues, are any one of these schools good to teach and send one's children? I am partially bilingual so am not too fussed about understanding Chinese. Learning Chinese is such an important part of our family that I would rather sacrifice my personal sanity. But sending them to a "problematic" school will be an issue. Have seen too many schools on the inside to know how bad things can go.
I am actually interested in schools that provide instructions in both Mandarin and English as my wife is Chinese and this is one of the reasons for our move to HK. We would like our children's Mandarin and English to be near-native levels or as close as we can get them.
Does anyone have first hand experiences with the other schools? Maybe at least any schools to avoid? Chinese International sounds like a good place if they have openings.
seinfeld> If one can work through some of these language issues, are any one of these schools good to teach and send one's children? I am partially bilingual so am not too fussed about understanding Chinese. Learning Chinese is such an important part of our family that I would rather sacrifice my personal sanity. But sending them to a "problematic" school will be an issue. Have seen too many schools on the inside to know how bad things can go.