Breadth of studies, high-school diplomas, learning outside the classroom as well as inside and development of the whole child are some of the characteristics of schools operating Canadian or American curricula in Hong Kong.
Children start primary education at such schools at the age of six, with up to three years of kindergarten previously. Education continues at middle and high school until the age of 17 or 18. Academic studies alone are not regarded as sufficient, with sports, community service and the arts playing an important role.
In both US and Canadian education, students graduate by satisfying requirements for a credit-based diploma. This opens the way to higher education, although US universities also require students, including those based in the US, to sit the standardised Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
At many schools, Advanced Placement courses, which earn senior students college credits in specific subjects while still at school, are available, although the number of courses on offer varies. These courses help make students' university applications competitive both locally and at institutions around the world.
Schools following North American curricula in Hong Kong adapt their programmes to their location by offering Putonghua, Asian studies and more global perspectives in social studies, history and geography. Character development, leadership skills and student participation are strongly promoted.
Graduates of both American and Canadian schools in Hong Kong gain entrance to universities worldwide, including Hong Kong.
Schooling in Canada comes under the Ministry of Education in each province. This accounts for certain structural differences in education between provinces. But all lead to recognised secondary school diplomas that open up entry to universities worldwide. Most international schools offering a Canadian curriculum in Hong Kong adopt the system used in Ontario. Canadian International School of Hong Kong is one. Allan McLeod, its former principal, said the province offered a quality curriculum, high recognition worldwide for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and a large pool of Ontario-trained teachers to draw on. Ontario graduation diploma requirements were particularly suitable for international education, offering students a wide range of subjects to choose from. Community service and a literacy test are part of these requirements.