From the day he was born, Alistair Collins' parents have been thinking about his education. 'It's the Hong Kong attitude,' said his British expatriate father Grahame, who looks after 17-month-old Alistair full time. 'The pressure is on here to get them signed up and there are waiting lists as well.'
Research on the internet, speaking to other parents and planning visits to schools have given Mr Collins a better idea of what's on offer, but he says the ideal kindergarten will need to meet a range of criteria. Teachers need to be experienced and committed rather than recently qualified ex-backpackers passing through. The school should not be in an area of high pollution and it should welcome parents into the classroom.
Parents like Mr Collins remember a time when kindergarten used to be known as play school and was considered little more than a chance for children to mingle in supervised conditions ahead of going to 'big school'.
The daily activities at most international kindergartens are reminiscent of play schools of old - with story time, creative play, painting, singing and cooking - but now parents and educators have a fuller understanding of how kindergarten is the vital first step in a child's education.
'The early years are critical for later development outcomes,' said Nirmala Rao, a specialist in early childhood education and associate professor at the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Education. 'Research that has shown the positive effects of environmental stimulation on early brain development supports the adage that 'the early years are learning years'.'
That said, there is less agreement on which of the two main methods of instruction in Hong Kong - a more academic approach or learn-through-play - are best.
The traditional Hong Kong classroom emphasises whole-class learning for children of similar ages. Structured learning of English, Chinese and maths aims to give children a head start, ready for the demands of Primary One. Play is recognised, but children are often expected to be quiet and disciplined. In contrast, advocates of learn-through-play developed by educationalists such as Jean Piaget, Dr Maria Montessori (1870-1952), and Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) believe that children in the early years gain more fundamental skills, and explore and learn about the world around them, through playing on their own and with other children.