Playtimes HK Magazine February 2018 Issue | Page 22
news
Forest School
Development
Centre
In the overcrowded metropolis that
is Hong Kong, ICHK Hong Lok Yuen
is leading a pioneering programme
which will culminate in it becoming
Asia’s inaugural Forest School
Development Centre. The Tai Po
school is set to achieve its vision of
being a leader in outdoor learning
and Forest School education by the
summer. As well as the Development
Centre status, it is on track to be the
only school in Hong Kong to achieve
the Learning Outside the Classroom
Gold Award. www.ichk.edu.hk
FIS Campus Update
The French International School’s Tseung Kwan
O campus, due to open in September this
year, is making impressive progress. The new
community-conscious eco-campus will feature
a grass-covered walkway linking the villa-style
primary school with the secondary school,
hanging gardens, natural materials (such as
bamboo), natural sunlight and ventilation.
www.fis.edu.hk/en/admissions
Education Matters
Attending University
Overseas
ESF Island School Rennovation
One of the founding schools of the English Schools Foundation
(ESF), Island School opened in 1967 with a distinctive approach
to teaching and learning that has generated outstanding success
over the decades. The 50-year-old school is currently undergoing
a major redevelopment and while the site on Borrett Road is being
redeveloped, the school has moved to two temporary school sites
in Sha Tin. The school is open to applications from secondary-aged
students to join in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 academic years. To
help parents understand the school's curriculum and educational
philosophy, as well as the redevelopment plans, a seminar will be
held on 1 March. www.esf.edu.hk/parent-seminars
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www.playtimes.com.hk
According to figures in HSBC’s The Value of Education
series, the globalisation of higher education shows no sign
of stalling. A recent study of over 8,000 parents across
15 countries and territories found that 42 percent would
consider sending their child to university abroad, compared
to 35 percent in 2016. Ambitious parents in Asia are
boosting the trend – in Hong Kong the figure is 52 percent,
in Singapore it is 47 percent and in China 59 percent.
Parents see the main benefits of a university education
abroad as helping their child gain international work
experience (49 percent), developing foreign language skills
(49 percent) and being exposed to new experiences, ideas
and cultures (48 percent). Overall, America is the most
considered international destination by parents for their
child’s university education (47 percent) ahead of Australia,
the UK, Canada, Germany and France.