Playtimes HK Magazine The School Book 2019-2020 | Page 9

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Different interest groups, such as the
Catholic Church and the Anglican
Church, initially set up schools to
provide an English language-based
education for Hong Kong residents.
The first wave of schools to be
considered ‘international’ opened in
the 1960s and included the German
Swiss (GSIS) and French International
Schools (FIS). GSIS operates a dual
system, teaching both a UK and
German curriculum, while FIS teaches a
syllabus fixed by the Ministry of French
National Education in the French stream
and a syllabus set by the Hong Kong
Education Department in its international
stream. These schools were closely
followed by the Hong Kong International
School, which opened in 1966 by the
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
During Hong Kong’s boom period
in the 1980s and 1990s, there was an
explosion in the number of international
schools opening to serve major groups
of overseas residents, as well as
Chinese returnees. These included
nationally based schools such as the
Canadian International School of Hong
Kong and also religion-based schools
like the Carmel School, which offers
both Jewish and international streams.
In 1986, the American International
School opened, offering a US-
based curriculum with AP (advanced
placement) courses.
The Chinese International School
broke new ground when it opened in
1983 by offering a bilingual education in
Mandarin/English, with the vision that
all pupils, regardless of their heritage,
become fluent in Mandarin. This
philosophy has since been adopted by
other schools in Hong Kong.
The Norwegian International School
was founded in 1985 by the Norwegian
Mission Society and Lutheran Mission
to teach children of missionaries. Initially
teaching all classes in Norwegian, today
the school offers a Christian North
American curriculum taught in English.
The Sir Ellis Kadoorie School , the
first school in Hong Kong teaching in
Hindi and Urdu, now offers English
curriculum and Chinese language
courses .
Across many of the international
schools in Hong Kong, English broadly
remains as the primary language of
instruction. Nevertheless, as means
of providing education to non-local
families are those such as Nord Anglia
International School and Hong Lok Yuen
International School who may accept
students with non-native-level English,
providing support with tutoring in English
as an Additional Language (EAL).
While international schools are
typically the most expensive option
in Hong Kong, they do offer a depth
and breadth to their teaching that is
considered invaluable by students
who want to study abroad and to a
standard recognised worldwide. New
schools are opening each year, such
as Mount Kelly School Hong Kong
and Shrewsbury International School,
each bringing a new dimension to the
education landscape and ensuring that
the quality of education provided keeps
improving.placement at any school.
Parents are broadly advised to lodge
applications for a number of schools at
the same time.
Interviews at international schools
are designed to assess the applicant’s
social adaptability, academic and
language abilities and potential
comfort within the school environment.
Occasionally, schools will also speak
to parents before making their final
decision. Certain nationalities receive
priorities at particular schools; for
example German, Swiss and Austrian
nationals are favoured by the GSIS.
A corporate debenture also gives
applicants an advantage, as does
sibling priority (when one of your
children is already a pupil at the school)
and also parents who are alumni of
the school.
Entrance interviews normally take
place in the first or second quarter
of the year of admission, but timing
varies between establishments, so as
a parent you really need to be aware
of the application landscape with your
schools of choice, and log all of the
key dates in your diary as early as
possible. Remember, don’t be afraid
to get in touch with the Admissions
teams at the schools - they are well
versed in answering questions from
anxious parents!
Application procedure
The registration, application, interview
and admission processes are individual
to each establishment andparents are
broadly advised to lodge applications
for a number of schools at the same
time to ensure their child gets a spot.
Interviews at international schools are
designed to assess the applicant’s social
adaptability, academic and language
abilities and potential comfort within
the school environment. Occasionally,
schools will also speak to parents before
making their final decision. Certain
nationalities receive priorities at particular
schools; for example German, Swiss
and Austrian nationals are favoured by
the GSIS. A corporate debenture also
gives applicants an advantage, as does
sibling priority (when one of your children
is already a pupil at the school). Parents
who are alumni of the school may also
take priority at some schools.
These interviews normally take place
in the first or second quarter of the year
of admission, but timing varies between
establishments. It’s important to be
aware of the application landscape with
your schools of choice and log all of
the key dates in your diary as early as
possible. Remember, don’t be afraid
to get in touch with the Admissions
teams at the schools - they are well
versed in answering questions from
anxious parents!
The School Book 2019-2020
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