One of the problems that my family face when we are thinking about immigrating to Hong Kong is the problem of selecting school for my kid. We don’t know whether we should send our kid to a public school, a Japanese school or an international school. In this article, different types of international school in Hong Kong will be introduced.
Types of Hong Kong International School
nternational schools in Hong Kong are divided into 2 types: the private schools and ESF (English Schools Foundation) schools.
ESF is a foundation that operates about 20 international schools in Hong Kong. Most of them receive financial assistance from the Hong Kong government and the tuition fees are relatively cheaper. However in the future, the financial aid will be reduced. The curriculum is of traditional British style. It is a school district system and you will be recommended to nearby school from where you live. You will be tested on your English ability at the time of enrollment. If you are able to enter the elementary school, you can go up to secondary (secondary middle school, high school education in Japan) level directly, just like an escalator school.
For private schools, there is variety of choices and you should choose the ideal one based on the features of the school. Some recommended private schools are introduced in the following:
Recommendations for a private international school
If it is your kid’s first time to learn under an English environment, we recommend an international school that does not require much on the English proficiency at the time of admission.
At the beginning, you can enroll in a school where English proficiency is not required, then throughout the year, try to improve your English level and transfer to an international school that incorporates the same teaching curriculum.
Hong Kong Japanese school and Japanese International School
There are many Japanese living nearby and the classes in school are conducted in Japanese. There are campuses in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. After getting accustomed to the environment of Hong Kong, you can also transfer to the international school of English education.
Delia School of Canada
It is located in Tai Koo, a district at Hong Kong Island. There are also a lot of Japanese staying there and the proportion of Japanese in the school is high. Even if you are not proficient in English, you can enroll and there is a program of ESL (English as Second Language), that you can learn English under another system. The curriculum of the lesson is of Canadian style which is free and vigorous.
Concordia International School
It is in the Kowloon area and this is an international school where English proficiency is not required. The curriculum is of American style, with a few ESL programs. Also, there are many students whose primary language is not English.
Hong Kong International School
It is an American style school. Being known as Hong Kong’s elite school, good English is necessary from the time of enrollment and there is no ESL program. After graduation, many students go for famous universities in the world, including the United States.
Christian Alliance P． C． Lau Memorial International School
It is a Canadian school in Kowloon, targeting primary and secondary school students. After graduation, some students go on to famous universities in various countries.There are also many students of Japanese nationality.
Canadian International School of Hong Kong
This school targets for primary and secondary school students and the IB curriculum is taught. It is located at Hong Kong Island, with a beautiful campus under a tranquil environment.
International Christian School
It is an American style missionary school. Some students feel that it might be difficult to be more diverse because there is a deep-rooted Christian spirit in the campus.
Singapore International School
The school covers from kindergarten to secondary school.The curriculum has adopted the Singaporean system plus IB system. There are many students going for famous universities around the world after graduating. Some may even enter Waseda, Keio or Hitotsubashi University in Japan.
Summary
There are so many International schools in Hong Kong that differ by lesson curriculum and school style. You may consider choosing a British, Canadian or American styled school to ensure a smooth transition in the future if you are going to other countries for university. From data, the general English ability of international school students is better than the average of Japanese students, but the level of speaking Japanese (national language) tends to be slightly lower. It will be beneficial when you go back to Japan and study in universities there, go to the universities in Hong Kong or abroad, or choose a school with a good prospect of future.