https://www.scmp.com/rss/49125/feed Anjali Hazari is a retired international-school biology educator who has taught for three decades in Hong Kong. She continues to tutor and write extensively on education policy and practice. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com How many teachers and staff of South and Southeast Asian origin hold senior management positions in English Schools Foundation (ESF) institutions in Hong Kong, given the revenue generated from students of the same ethnicities studying in its 22 schools? How many Indians are principals or deputy heads in other international schools in the city? How do these statistics compare with teachers of other nationalities employed in international schools? More importantly, why aren’t these facts and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3093661/racism-allegations-teachers-hong-kongs-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3093661/racism-allegations-teachers-hong-kongs-international?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jul 2020 03:15:10 +0000 Singled out to collect litter, made the butt of jokes about skin colour, and having to tolerate cultural insensitivity are among complaints that have been raised by ethnic minority parents whose children study in English Schools Foundation (ESF) institutions in Hong Kong. The issues have come to light following the publication of an open letter last month by a Year 13 student at King George V School, accusing teachers of “making fun of the names of Asian students” and other acts of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3091530/hong-kongs-esf-schools-hit-more-allegations-racism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3091530/hong-kongs-esf-schools-hit-more-allegations-racism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2020 23:15:18 +0000 In his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell introduced the word “doublethink” into the lexicon. One meaning of doublethink is “the acceptance of contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time”. Perhaps there is a need to introduce doublethink into our collective conscience in Hong Kong as China’s authorities draft the city’s national security law. Despite government reassurance that this law will affect a very small segment of the Hong Kong community, there are concerns that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3090562/patriotism-hong-kong-schools-should-not-come-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3090562/patriotism-hong-kong-schools-should-not-come-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2020 03:15:13 +0000 With massive protest movements under way around the world, teachers and parents face an unprecedented challenge. They need to teach and model behaviour so young people can learn they have a voice and how best they can use it. Students everywhere are taking part in demonstrations, as well as witnessing and reading about them in the news and on different social media platforms. Rallies have been taking place in the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and many other places. There are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3088808/why-global-protests-require-schools-parents-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3088808/why-global-protests-require-schools-parents-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2020 21:00:05 +0000 A question on a history paper of the Hong Kong university entrance exam, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE), that asked students whether they agreed Japan did more good than harm to China in the period between 1900 and 1945 has engendered outrage from sections of the Hong Kong community. However, this indignation confused and confounded three separate issues. First was the outrage that such a provocative question could be posited in the first place by the Hong Kong Examinations... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3085737/three-issues-heart-outrage-over-history-exam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3085737/three-issues-heart-outrage-over-history-exam?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2020 03:15:12 +0000 Among the most frequently asked questions in secondary school biology exams are how bacteria gain antibiotic resistance, and why we need to take a flu shot every year when the polio vaccination provides lifelong immunity. Can Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection be applied to the Covid-19 pandemic? Are those best adapted to the environment and the fittest among us surviving? The old, the very young, the immuno-compromised and co-morbid are the most vulnerable age groups in this... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3082452/coronavirus-affects-preteens-less-does-evolution-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3082452/coronavirus-affects-preteens-less-does-evolution-play?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 06:49:54 +0000 Many of the exams cancelled this year in Britain and elsewhere amid the global coronavirus pandemic would have been conducted by two awarding bodies: Edexcel and Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). These exams measure a student’s performance against predetermined criteria. An individual’s score is absolute, and is not affected by the performance of other students, irrespective of their ability. Hong Kong is infamous for its exam-dominated culture that relies heavily on the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3081179/why-top-students-will-lose-out-if-exams-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3081179/why-top-students-will-lose-out-if-exams-are?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2020 08:15:08 +0000 While some exam boards in Hong Kong and elsewhere have postponed secondary school exams, many students around the world are trying to deal with the unprecedented situation of having their exams cancelled as part of government efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19 infection. The exam-focused education system has left students feeling adrift. And the cancellations have brought into focus school-based assessment, where teachers are being required to compute a final grade. Boards are developing a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3078544/school-exams-postponed-or-cancelled-over-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3078544/school-exams-postponed-or-cancelled-over-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2020 10:45:10 +0000 I have been tutoring a Year 8 student maths and integrated science since I retired. While not explicitly diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in Year 5 he was identified as having difficulty concentrating and being unable to sit for periods of time appropriate for his grade level. He has shown steady improvement with best-practice strategies that have included assigning work to his skill level, offering him choices for completing an assignment, and breaking down... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3076205/coronavirus-online-lessons-benefit-student-learning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3076205/coronavirus-online-lessons-benefit-student-learning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2020 07:30:13 +0000 Recently, a 16-year-old student who takes her IGCSE exams in a few weeks asked me: “What exactly do you mean when you say I need to focus on exam-answering techniques as I revise for my exams, Mrs Hazari?” So, I was compelled to write about winning revision and exam strategies. Put simply, exam-answering techniques are how your child applies what he or she knows under exam conditions. Most IGCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam-going students are aware of the need to study to the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3073941/how-ace-upcoming-igcse-and-ib-exams-revision-and-exam-day-strategies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3073941/how-ace-upcoming-igcse-and-ib-exams-revision-and-exam-day-strategies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2020 03:15:10 +0000 Editor's note: This article has been updated to protect a source who had been inadvertently identified. As parents in Hong Kong protest for their children’s future, they also need to consider how their actions influence and shape their children personalities. The media has been flooded with images of children spending Sundays on their father’s shoulders, on the well-trodden march from Victoria Park to Central district, and spending holidays at Chater Garden listening to the strident demands of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3051746/how-parents-and-teachers-actions-and-attitudes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3051746/how-parents-and-teachers-actions-and-attitudes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2020 02:30:13 +0000 I taught at a leading international school in Hong Kong during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003. During the school closure we were among the first to disseminate online learning via a website created for each grade level. Subject teachers posted worksheets and projects for students to complete. Fast-forward to 2020: there are differences in schools’ commitment and capacity to implement and support high-quality online instruction as schools close amid the novel... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3049458/schools-closed-over-coronavirus-use-e-learning-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3049458/schools-closed-over-coronavirus-use-e-learning-video?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2020 00:30:07 +0000 How do we reconcile Article 1 of the Basic law, that the special administrative region is an inalienable part of China, and Article 27, which states that our students, and all others in Hong Kong, shall have freedom of speech? Issues in this debate are getting confused. Whether outside groups should be allowed to advocate localism in schools, and whether this would be a threat to national security, is a separate issue from whether teachers should allow students to discuss localism in their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2011642/allow-debate-independence-hong-kong-schools-long-goal-foster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2011642/allow-debate-independence-hong-kong-schools-long-goal-foster?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2016 02:55:16 +0000 This academic year students will be motivated by inspirational teachers. But which teacher characters from fiction and popular culture inspire real life teachers? According to a Times Education Supplement survey of 1,200 educators, two characters from the Harry Potter series grabbed prominent places in education's 50 favourite fictional teachers. Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Harry's mentor through most of the series, topped the poll. "Albus... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1855276/good-teachers-whether-fictional-or-real-all-share-similar-traits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1855276/good-teachers-whether-fictional-or-real-all-share-similar-traits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2015 20:00:15 +0000 Students who have recently graduated from school are preparing to embark on their college careers made possible by the grades they have received at their secondary school-leaving exams. But how prepared are they for the next chapter in their lives? Most students will be 18 when they start their university education - the age they are regarded by the law as being able to "manage their own affairs". But how do we know if they can actually do that? If there was a life skills report card, would we... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1847519/hong-kong-schools-and-parents-need-emphasise-life-skills-teaching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1847519/hong-kong-schools-and-parents-need-emphasise-life-skills-teaching?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:04:37 +0000 Generally for teachers and parents, a school's board of governors is a nebulous entity disconnected from everyday teaching and learning. However, issues faced by the Canadian International School serve to highlight the complicated nature of school governance involving the founding members and school management. Governance problems tend to be the reason some Southeast Asian schools are not accredited by the Council of International Schools, says Ian Clayton, head of the international section of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1846344/canadian-international-school-row-highlights-role-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1846344/canadian-international-school-row-highlights-role-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2015 05:30:15 +0000 The exam season is finally over and my students have been evaluated internally by me and externally via different exam boards. My school administrators are now busy ending the academic year evaluating my performance along with that of my colleagues. So how should teacher performance for the academic year be judged? Research shows a strong correlation between teacher effectiveness and student achievement. And I am extremely proud of the excellent results my students get both at the IGCSE and IB... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1820606/how-should-teacher-performance-academic-year-be-judged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1820606/how-should-teacher-performance-academic-year-be-judged?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:11:59 +0000 The International Baccalaureate and International General Certificate of Secondary Examinations are in progress. The invigilation duty teachers are required to undertake follows a frenetic period of facilitating the completion and submission of internal assessments, marking mock exams, and preparing students for these external examinations. Devoid of any activity other than watching students write their exams - one colleague aptly describes invigilation as "interesting as watching paint... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1798047/why-bragging-about-exam-expectations-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1798047/why-bragging-about-exam-expectations-good-thing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2015 22:45:15 +0000 Following news that 11 former public school educators in Atlanta, Georgia, were convicted of falsifying test scores to meet annual targets and secure certain rewards, our son, Akhil, had several questions for me. "Have you ever falsified test scores?" "What about marks you submit as internal assessment for the IB and IGCSE examinations?" That was easy. No, I have never done that. "How do you feel about what those educators did?" Now, that was a little more difficult. Although one cannot condone... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1768648/should-teacher-evaluations-be-linked-student-test-scores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1768648/should-teacher-evaluations-be-linked-student-test-scores?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2015 22:30:30 +0000 When the March Hare advises Alice to "Say what you mean," Alice replies: "I do - at least, I mean what I say. That's the same thing, you know". The Dormouse is quick to point out that it is not. "You might just as well say: 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'!" Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is compelling reading because of the comedy that arises from the inadequacy of language to provide meaning in communication. The lesson is that education depends on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1736801/communicating-through-social-media-poses-fresh-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1736801/communicating-through-social-media-poses-fresh-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:45:30 +0000 What is the purpose of a school education? Ruminations on this question by schools, education officials, intergovernmental organisations and governments have materialised into laudable 21st-century goals. But parents are still very concerned about students' workloads. They blame schools for the stress their children are experiencing. Teachers feel parents have unrealistic expectations, and are themselves the source of the pressure that leads to stress. It is time for both parents and schools to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1661439/positive-psychology-benefits-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1661439/positive-psychology-benefits-students?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2014 09:44:52 +0000 One of the many things I love about teaching is being given a clean slate each September. I will be given new students who will have varying expectations of me and whose presence will create different group dynamics in classes I have taught previously. I will have a new timetable that will shape my day for the next 10 months. Come September, I have the renewed opportunity for introspection and to put into practice lessons learned from the previous year. I can also shed practices and habits that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1579186/new-school-year-resolutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1579186/new-school-year-resolutions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2014 08:41:45 +0000 Each year when the IB results are declared, I am witness to a spectrum of emotions that span from elation to unhappiness. And each year there are a few students who express incredulous shock at the number of points they have attained. Although I haven't done any correlational analysis, it seems each year some of the students who have been predicted to get poor grades are genuinely surprised when they get them. Although test scores in any examination system can reveal the extent to which students... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1559151/learning-curve-student-surveys-can-help-assessing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1559151/learning-curve-student-surveys-can-help-assessing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:45:15 +0000 Ng Gim Choo, thefounder of EtonHouse International, is often asked how she sets up her schools. "In the old days we imparted knowledge and we asked children what occupation they would like to pursue when they were older. However, there is a limit to what we can teach, and in an ever-changing world knowledge soon becomes obsolete," says Ng. Inquiry-based learning, the ethos of her schools, turns occupations into an inquiry topic; students are encouraged to consider not occupations but the roles... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1541789/learning-curve-adaptability-and-problem-solving-are-keys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1541789/learning-curve-adaptability-and-problem-solving-are-keys?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2014 02:01:01 +0000 Holmes and Watson are on a camping trip. In the middle of the night Holmes wakes up and gives Dr Watson a nudge. "Watson", he says, "look up in the sky and tell me what you see." "I see millions of stars, Holmes," says Watson. "And what do you conclude from that, Watson?" Watson thinks for a moment. "Astronomically," he says, "it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1521991/learning-curve-coursework-best-way-determine-top-science?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1521991/learning-curve-coursework-best-way-determine-top-science?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2014 01:46:21 +0000 I need to declare a vested interest. Our son is a doctor. In fact he is the kind of doctor Hong Kong needs. As a clinician-scientist, he is committed both to his patients and to contributing to the growing body of medical research. Although he has studied in Hong Kong from kindergarten through to his A-levels, poor long-term projection and planning regarding needs of the community disadvantaged passionate students like him. Fierce competition for few available places required him to seek a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1486982/learning-curve-hk-policy-foreign-doctors-needs-urgent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1486982/learning-curve-hk-policy-foreign-doctors-needs-urgent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2014 02:16:40 +0000 In a few weeks' time the IB Diploma Programme (DP) examination will be held in the northern hemisphere for the 44th consecutive year. It's certainly moved on from its humble beginnings in 1970, when 29 candidates from 11 schools undertook the first official full DP examination; in the May and November 2013 examination session, 54,453 full diplomas were awarded to students from more than 2,106 IBDP schools across the globe. The educational landscape of Hong Kong has participated in this... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1476367/ib-education-stresses-human-values-not-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1476367/ib-education-stresses-human-values-not-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2014 01:45:59 +0000 Peter and Miriam Cremers were required to subscribe to a refundable "personal nomination right" of HK$75,000 when their son Enzo was granted admission to the Chinese International School several years ago. Besides paying the money, Enzo was selected on the basis of a half-day observation interview at the age of four. "I don't have an objection in principle [on schools charging debentures]. I understand schools need to run and that costs money and investment. But in some schools there is a risk... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1454072/learning-curve-international-schools-need-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1454072/learning-curve-international-schools-need-rethink?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2014 01:48:14 +0000 Instilling values of hard work and responsibility in children is an issue that concerns all parents. In Hong Kong, however, where household chores are often managed by helpers, and children's lives are structured around school and related activities, parents often struggle with defining the contributions they need to make in becoming responsible family members. An allowance introduces children to the value of money and facilitates the learning of important life skills such as saving, budgeting... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1439421/new-app-aims-help-parents-teach-children-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1439421/new-app-aims-help-parents-teach-children-value-money?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2014 02:20:33 +0000 It is interview season for students completing their final year of secondary school and seeking admission for the academic term starting in the autumn. With personal statements finally completed after more drafts than they can recall, chasing academic referees, completing application forms and surviving the final scramble to upload documents, there's now nothing to do but wait nervously for interview calls. That and prepare for the final examination to meet their predicted grade requirements. I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1432688/learning-curve-how-succeed-admissions-interviews?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1432688/learning-curve-how-succeed-admissions-interviews?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2014 01:37:38 +0000 When a student encounters difficulty in understanding a particular topic, teachers, myself included, form opinions based on our experience with that student. We inform parents of our perceptions, offer our views and seldom hesitate to make suggestions for overcoming those difficulties. However, over the years, I have learned that it often helps simply to ask the student concerned why they think that they are struggling. Students learn better when they perceive the learning environment... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1407745/learning-curve-student-perceptions-have-huge-impact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1407745/learning-curve-student-perceptions-have-huge-impact?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2014 02:31:20 +0000 Students ask some thought-provoking questions. When teaching evolution in biology, students have frequently questioned my personal beliefs: "You chose to study this subject, so does it mean you believe in natural selection?" Or more interestingly: is my teaching of the subject "diluted by own personal beliefs?" Recently, after I had taught the law of conservation of matter and energy to Form Two students, 11-year-old Ines Durand stayed behind after class and inquired: If matter and energy can... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1386777/learning-curve-how-children-formulate-their-own-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1386777/learning-curve-how-children-formulate-their-own-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2013 02:15:47 +0000 A parent raised an interesting issue recently when she asked why students are grouped by ability in a language class - for example, in beginners, intermediate and advanced groups when studying French or Putonghua - but they are not grouped by ability in my biology class, when some students struggle more than others in understanding abstract concepts and biological jargon. She was referring to the practice of grouping students of similar ability for instructional purposes. Yes, one size does not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1362927/learning-curve-grouping-students-ability-works-language?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1362927/learning-curve-grouping-students-ability-works-language?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:30:45 +0000 As an educator and parent for nearly three decades, I am pleased to read concerns about students being under too much academic pressure. While parents often identify the source of the pressure as results-oriented educational systems and schools giving too much homework, I get mixed messages when I sit on the other side of the parent-teacher conference table. From where I sit, unrealistic parental expectations of a child's abilities and potential seem to be the most common cause of stress among... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1355233/biggest-stress-students-parental-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1355233/biggest-stress-students-parental-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2013 10:30:45 +0000 On Sunday, Rittoo Ahuja and her family celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, along with thousands of other Hindus in Hong Kong. They first visited her husband Satinder's office, where she performed a pooja, a kind of ritual, to pay homage to Lakshmi, the goddess who represents both material and spiritual wealth, before taking their employees out for a celebratory lunch. In the evening the family conducted a more elaborate pooja at home, which included presenting prasad - food offerings to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1347390/hindu-parents-reflect-how-share-tenets-faith-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1347390/hindu-parents-reflect-how-share-tenets-faith-their?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:00:45 +0000 The academic year started with a student in one of my classes being absent for both unit tests and an assessed practical, despite adequate prior notice. "She is frequently absent," said one student. "She falls sick a lot," informed another. Whenever you have someone who is off the beaten track, there'll be issues with tolerance Philippe Bera, HKHTC My inquiry revealed no specific health issues but continued observation shed light on the group dynamics of the class, where this particular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1339755/teachers-can-nip-prejudice-bud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1339755/teachers-can-nip-prejudice-bud?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:34:02 +0000 Organisation is the key to success. A place for everything and everything in its place. These proverbs that encapsulate the importance of organising and taking responsibility were inextricably woven into the convent education I received in India during the 1960s. A piece of advice a nun used to proffer relates particularly well to the problem of the increasingly heavy school bag. She said: "Students should bear some responsibility for their huge daily burden, by organising their bags before... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1319219/packing-school-bags-strategic-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1319219/packing-school-bags-strategic-way?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 When our daughter, Akanksha left for university, I grew concerned about the changes to our home. When our son Akhil left, too, I became more anxious. After 22 years what would my husband and I talk about? Would we enjoy outings as much without our children? The evenings seemed to yawn endlessly and some days coming back to a dark home, with everything in the same place I had left it, made me yearn for the days I returned to find the flat in a mess. When I was not able to get either of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1316051/dont-count-your-nest-eggs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1316051/dont-count-your-nest-eggs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 How best to serve the needs of a culturally diverse student body whose abilities and level of motivation vary is a key challenge for schools in Hong Kong. Studies show that many students lack social-emotional competencies, and become less connected to school as they progress from elementary to middle to high school. That lack of connection can adversely affect their academic performance, behaviour and health. We need to question our basic understanding of the purpose of a school Lea waters,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1309199/positive-education-can-improve-academic-results-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1309199/positive-education-can-improve-academic-results-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Last month, Chris Uphill, 65, retired from the ESF Educational Services, an organisation he joined after teaching at ESF Glenealy Primary School. As he returns home to Britain after 25 years in Hong Kong, he is looking forward to pursuing a master of education at the Open University. "Although I am retiring, I retain my professional interests, and still want to pursue these. Retirement provides the two essential prerequisites for study - financial independence and time. I'm not ready for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1304894/opportunities-exist-elderly-need-more-options-study?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1304894/opportunities-exist-elderly-need-more-options-study?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Results of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams were released last week. Whether students did well or not, there's a benefit. Their results will provide admission tutors evidence of their academic ability that should support the grades they present to colleges for admission. Students who didn't fare as well can view the exams as practice for the IB or A-levels, whose results will count towards college admission. The people who perform best in normal... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1297190/handling-stress-biological-view?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1297190/handling-stress-biological-view?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 When he was growing up, my son Akhil and I were frequently at loggerheads over the time he spent playing video games. Although he likes to think that it was a "casual pastime", in his final year of medical school he delighted in informing me that his interest in studying surgery as a postgraduate was reinforced by his professor's belief that he had an inherent ability in the subject. And his video gaming had apparently contributed to these skills. Italian researchers at Sapienza University, in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1293866/gaming-wont-get-students-grades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1293866/gaming-wont-get-students-grades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 School principals generally insist that teaching should continue until the last lesson of each academic year. Since it has cost me about HK$1.52 per minute for each class that my two children have sat through in primary and secondary school, I have endeavoured to take this directive very seriously. However, I have learned that little learning takes place on the last day, irrespective of how I teach. One year we tabulated all the activities students had planned to engage in over the summer break,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1286352/volunteering-good-heart-and-soul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1286352/volunteering-good-heart-and-soul?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Some 127,000 students from 135 countries and regions received the results of their International Baccalaureate Diploma exams earlier this month. Six English Schools Foundation students in Hong Kong were among 108 students worldwide who scored the maximum 45 points. The number of local schools following the IB course has risen significantly over the past five years, with 26 schools now offering the diploma programme. The ESF dropped A-levels for the IB four years ago. IB Diploma graduates can... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1281181/hong-kongs-high-fliers-see-great-perks-ib-diploma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1281181/hong-kongs-high-fliers-see-great-perks-ib-diploma?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 For students, summer holidays are synonymous with play. This is essential to children’s development, contributing to their cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being. Play also gives parents great opportunities to engage with their children. But adults’ workplace demands, coupled with the increased attention to study and enrichment activities for students, makes such chances harder to come by. One way is to involve the children in a personal passion over the summer break. Businessman... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1276134/learning-curve-fathers-passion-diving-brings-sons-closer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1276134/learning-curve-fathers-passion-diving-brings-sons-closer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 “Go to any French supermarket and you will be greeted by a stand ‘Passport to ...’ On sale are a range of manuals of varying quality, depth and rigour. What they all have in common is that they offer students of all ages a link between the grade they are leaving behind and the one they are about to enter,” says educator Rachael Desgouttes. This is a cultural tradition in France, she explains. “Students are not expected to self-learn material not covered in class. The function of these books is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1265930/how-avoid-those-hazy-days-summer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1265930/how-avoid-those-hazy-days-summer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 We are learning A, B, Cs A, B, Cs are not easy Our class name is 5D 5D also means "fai dee" Composing bilingual rap with puns like these has helped students in a Band Three school in a working-class area build bridges between their Chinese mother tongue and English. By identifying more closely with hip hop and rap artists as role models for their own language learning, students develop identities as English-speakers, says Angel Lin, associate dean at the HKU faculty of education. A pioneer of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1250689/pop-culture-helps-students-learn-english?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1250689/pop-culture-helps-students-learn-english?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 "When I first found out I would be studying Theory of Knowledge (TOK) for the International Baccalaureate Diploma, I was intrigued and thought it would be interesting to explore a subject with no definite answers, like maths or chemistry," says Anna Smyth, who is completing her first year of the programme at the French International School (FIS). But her classmate Sybil Yeung was apprehensive, as she wasn't sure what the subject would entail. "I also did not understand the need for the subject.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1245173/theory-knowledge-improves-critical-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1245173/theory-knowledge-improves-critical-thinking?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 As students sit their exams for the International Baccalaureate (IB) and International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE), I am reminded of the hundreds of predicted grades I have given out in my teaching career. How accurate have I been and how have my predictions affected my students’ admissions to universities? Researchers Nick Everett and Joanna Papageorgiou, from Britain, investigated the accuracy of predicted GCE A-level grades as part of the Universities and Colleges... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1234655/learning-curve-tyranny-predicted-grades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1234655/learning-curve-tyranny-predicted-grades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 An exam is a mental marathon – a test of resolve and endurance – and preparing for it should include a good diet. But extensive studies link altered eating habits with stress, including that caused by exams. When one is chronically stressed, the hormone cortisol is released, which causes some individuals to binge. Researchers Tanja Adam and Elissa Epel found that people who identified themselves as stress eaters had higher urinary cortisol and insulin levels when they were under pressure.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1218414/stress-busters-put-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1218414/stress-busters-put-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000