A classic study in Chinese

Mingling outside the school canteen during lunch break, children of various nationalities chatted in fluent Putonghua under the scorching sun.

The scene, of foreign and local pupils chatting in Putonghua outside the classrooms, is the rule rather than exception on the Independent Schools Foundation Academy's (ISF) campus in Cyberport.

Tucked in among the rolling hills of Kong Sin Wan Tsuen, the sprawling school moved from its temporary campuses in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay upon completion of its HK$250 million campus in Cyberport last year.

Boasting 430 students in classes up to Grade Eight, the school forecasts it will accommodate 1,600 students at full capacity in 2012.

With lessons in English and other foreign languages eclipsing Chinese education in most international schools in Hong Kong, ISF's strong emphasis on Putonghua and classical Chinese lessons sets it apart from other schools catering to the expatriate population.

The inclusion of Chinese culture in both formal and informal curricula - morning assemblies where students recite ancient Chinese texts like San Zi Jing (Three-Character Classic) or Di Zi Gui (Standards for Being a Good Student and Child), chanting poems from the Tang and Song dynasties in music lessons, and incorporating wushu (martial arts) into its formal primary curriculum - is aimed at enhancing students' Putonghua proficiency and nurturing traditional Chinese virtues.

'Our school is rooted in Chinese culture. We hope that such Chinese attributes as being introspective, disciplined and persistent can become students' habits of mind,' school principal Shirley Lee said.