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- May 23, 2013
- Updated: 6:57am
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English Schools Foundation
The English Schools Foundation (ESF) operates five secondary schools, nine primary schools and a school for students with special educational needs across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. It is the largest international educational foundation in Asia.
'Educational apartheid' hitting expats
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I refer to Pierce Lam's letter ("ESF admission policy smacks of segregation", February 19).
I agree with Mr Lam's argument about segregation in Hong Kong's education system, and would even go so far as saying that this city is currently plagued by an "educational apartheid".
I share his view that the practice of offering two segregated systems of subsidised English-medium education - one for Chinese and the other for non-Chinese - is long out of date and no longer relevant in post-colonial Hong Kong.
I wish to add that, instead, we should have a "one size fits all" subsidised education system - one that accommodates everyone, whether it be local Chinese, mainland Chinese, Westerners, ethnic minorities or other foreign expatriates.
Mr Lam insists that we must respect our local schools, and further states that in Asian countries like Japan, expatriates who want public education for their children have to send them to local schools.
He even boasts about Hong Kong's local schools supposedly being "superior" to schools in Japan and in most of our expatriates' home countries.
I would like to ask Mr Lam one question. If our local schools really are so superior to schools in other places, why are we seeing so few non-Chinese members of our society sending their children to these schools?
One answer to that I can give is that local schools are reluctant to take on non-Chinese or non-Cantonese speaking children.
On the one hand, Mr Lam criticises the English Schools Foundation for promoting educational segregation, but on the other hand, he fails to acknowledge the local schools' contribution to this dilemma. So, because of this, the choice given to the city's expatriates is loud and clear: extortionate international schools, the ESF, or leave Hong Kong.
As many of us are aware, due to limited places at international and ESF schools, many expats are left with only the third choice.
As your correspondent correctly points out, we hear about expats in other cities in the region sending their children to local schools with seemingly little trouble.
I'm sure that this is another reason why many foreigners are leaving Hong Kong, as they search elsewhere in the region for better schooling opportunities for their children.
If this city is supposedly Asia's world city, why is our "superior" education system failing to adopt a similar approach to those of other parts of the world?
Andrew Nunn, Tai Po
After reading this article, people also read
4:07pm
Asia has its Nazis as well.
2:25pm
It is a lie to suggest that ESF schools are populated by foreign students here for brief visits and sponging off the government. 70% of ESF students are permanent residents of Hong Kong. 44% of ESF students are ethnically Chinese, 21% are ethnically Caucasian. There is no educational apartheid in this city, and why a supposedly reputable newspaper continues to give a platform to Lam's racist ravings is beyond me. He is ignorant, offensive, factually incorrect and dishonest.
6:11am
As to the quality of the public and non-public schools I wish to remind that within many of the international schools the majority of students come from the wealthy local community and that those schools are actually NOT dominated by "expats" e.g. GSIS, Singapore International, Chinese International and the list goes on.
And why do even the highly paid top officers of our government departments incl. the Education Bureau send their children to international schools and not to public schools ?
2:17pm
But you complain about ESF which receives a miniscule amount of money per child from the government and mainly parents have to pay for their child’s education. And as you say they receive a worse education than if they went to a local school.
Why are you so upset that the government gives foreign children a miniscule amount of funding? Local Chinese students receive a massive amount of funding. It saves the HK government billions by having Children go to these so called inferior schools. You complaints make absolutely no sense.
Everything you say makes the status queo look extremely advantageous to local HK families. 1005 funded and better education.
10:12am
Put simply, if you are an expatriate and classify yourself as such then you have in all likelihood moved to Hong Kong to improve your income/career prospects. In such cases you should foot the bill, or the company that employs you at the expense of local talent, if you desire a certain type of education experience that is not availabe in the society that you are moving to. Try going to France and saying as we are bringing a business to Paris that will benefit Parisians you should provide us with heavily subsided schools for our children and ones that teach in a style that we like? This idea of heavily subsidizing foreign education is a major colonial hangover.
On the other hand if you classify yourself as immigrants, are willing to adapt to the local society, see this as your permanent home (live, marry, die) then Hong Kong should try to help your children master Chinese.
Expatriates, and I have to listen to them, constantly confide that the local eduaction system is rubbish - this is pure racism and then go on to complain that the Governent doesn't do enough to give their little Johnny a good education, they says its just too expensive - money.
The problem is we don't know how many immigrants we have who don't have Chinese as their first language.
6:48am
www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
read this carefully - free education at primary level for ALL children irrespective of race, ethnic origin, religion etc.
5:11pm
IRDHK and the likes fail to realise
-
that ESF’s performance is irrelevant in public funding consideration
If ESF is qualified for subsidies, why not other English speaking international schools?
-
that being expatriates is neither a qualification nor an entitlement for special treatment
-
that there should be no public subsidies for ESF schools until they comply with
a) HKBoR (Art 1) and unicef CRC (Art 2) prohibition against linguistic discrimination, and
b) the Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities requiring minorities to integrate with local community
thru the acquisition of the state language
-
ESF’s “international” curricula and exams are easier than those of local schools
Thus opening back door admission to competitive universities local and overseas
-
HK’s financial surplus and reserves are reasons that we should have the confidence
to do what’s right – to abolish and not to accommodate
the immoral colonial vices
of educational apartheid and double standard
9:46am
This is a dumb question. Has it ever occurred to you that non-Chinese members are afraid that their children may show up as inferior performers, which might hurt their chances in gaining admission to a great university?
Facts speak for themselves. Hong Kong 15-year olds are ranked top three in the world in PISA’s reading comprehension, mathematics and science year and year. Could non-Chinese parents have the same bragging rights for their home country?
Though children of Chinese immigrants are usually handicapped by their English language skills in the US, they have little problems learning every subject in English. Asian students taking advanced college placement tests in the US are 3.7 times whites, biology 7.5, Advanced Calculus 8.1, Chemistry 8.5, Physics, 7.4. The gap is even greater than that between whites and other minorities.
Chinese children are not Martians. They have just a little more discipline and intestinal fortitude. Stop bellyaching and just send your children to local schools to learn some math, science and Chinese. Good local schools don't discriminate against expats. But the competition is fierce. Be honest, are your children up to it?
Now a fair disclosure. I was matriculated from SJC more than 5 decades ago.
7:33am
****www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200105/03/0503132.htm
Speech by Secretary Education Manpower South Island School Awards Ceremony
Following is a speech by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mrs **** Law, at the Awards Ceremony of South Island School today (May 3):
Good afternoon, Mr Shroff, Ms Wisker, Mr Evans, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Maybe I should start with a declaration of interests. As the Secretary for Education and Manpower, I naturally maintain a keen professional interest in all schools in Hong Kong. But I must confess that, as the mother of two of your alumni, I have always had special affection for South Island School. Randolph and Boniface have many happy memories of their school days here. Knowing that I will be with you today, they have asked me to convey their warm wishes to you all. In particular, Boni has asked me to pass on his regards to his friends who are present today........
