Make the choice of a lifetime
Parents from across Hong Kong are about to make a crucial decision - where to send their children to secondary school. With a number of factors to consider and questions to ask, Chris Durbin, education adviser at the English Schools Foundation (ESF), outlines three tips for choosing a secondary school.
First, the chosen school should provide good all-round schooling, one that balances academic rigour with developing skills and confidence; an essential attribute in today's professional working world, he explains. And, if your child has special talents, then parents should match their student's aptitude with evidence of excellence in that specialisation at a particular school.
Secondly, the school should have a positive ethos, where all students are thought of as individuals. Parents should question how students are individually nurtured to achieve and should consider their child's personality in this respect.
'Highly competitive schools suit some students who thrive on competition. Other children thrive better in a caring and collaborative culture,' he says. 'You may have two very different children, so don't just assume that both should go to the same school. A positive ethos is evident in the conversations that you have with students when you visit the school. Parents should ask students whether they are proud to be at the school and they should ask about the range of things that they have done.'
Third, a school should ensure students gain knowledge, understanding and world experiences beyond their own families.
'In secondary education, students should, through their studies, develop further understanding of people from different walks of life, different cultures and who have different perspectives. This prepares students well for a life in Hong Kong or wherever they are in the world.'
Phil Waugh, co-head of school at the Australian International School, explains that with such a wide range of local and international secondary schools in Hong Kong, parents are able to choose from a host of different pathways for their child's secondary education.
'There are many great schools in Hong Kong each with their own strengths and particular focus area, which can match their child's learning needs and stage of education,' Waugh explains. 'It's important to keep an open mind about choice of school and the pathway to adult life. Clearly, schools who have an established track record of graduates, achieving strong academic outcomes and accessing quality universities, are more likely to offer their students access to the university of their choice.'
Most schools in Hong Kong are strong academically and many are also strong in other areas that may interest your child, such as media, design or sports. Whether your child is a techno-geek or a sporty type, Waugh says to identify a school that best suits their interests. 'Be aware of what their interests are and match that with what is offered. Students thrive in environments where they are happy and where they can apply their interests and their passions,' he says. He adds that it is important to remember that education is not only about entering university, it's also about developing skills and abilities to enable students to achieve success in adult life.
Waugh advises parents to talk to parents of students at the school and get their impressions. Take school tours and look out for students of the same age as your children. Are they happy? Do they take pride in themselves? Do they look like the sort of teenagers you would want your child to be associated with?
He says a school's track record of achievement is important. Try to find out about their graduates, where they have gone to university, how successful they are now and what they say about their school.
It is also vital to look for an effective approach to teaching the basic skills of literacy, languages and leadership, Durbin says, 'which will be so important in nearly all jobs in the future'.
Many Hong Kong secondary schools, including ESF schools and the Australian International School, now teach the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma programme, which is recognised by universities both locally and worldwide. A major advantage of it, especially for international parents or local parents who want their child to study overseas at some point, is that it allows students to easily move to schools in other countries that also teach the IB.
'This is an exciting time for Hong Kong,' Durbin says. 'Hong Kong schools have a new curriculum; [it is] right for Hong Kong's future with increased emphasis on creativity and understanding of the world.'
In addition to the IB, the Australian International School also teaches the New South Wales Higher School Certificate curriculum.