Hong Kong Orientation Guide

Schools and Education

Whichever system you choose for your child, you can rest assured that they will have a cultural exchange that can only enhance their educational experience and help create a global citizen.

Education Overview

There are many good school options available to expatriate families. Regardless of which school you choose, the education is generally of a very high standard.

Each international school is categorized by the type of curriculum system taught, for example American, British, Canadian, French, Australian are the most popular. The type of curriculum systems vary, for example the British and International Baccalaureate system tends to be more advanced in the early years, but by secondary school, the systems seem to even out with the North American system. For example, in Secondary School, the way science and mathematics are taught are different to the British system. The North American system breaks studies into topics (e.g., algebra, trigonometry, geometry), whereas the British system covers all topics at a basic level the first year, then becomes more advanced each year. Also, Secondary School in the North American curriculum is devoted to studying one of the three science subjects—chemistry, biology and physics in each year. In comparison, in the British system students are exposure to all three subjects each year at a basic level and then each subject becomes more advanced with every new school year. Education standards are high inHong Kong,it is not uncommon for students to be eligible for advanced standing and receive first year credits towards their respective degrees in universities around the world. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is rapidly gaining popularity and is a respected certificate to have when applying to universities in Hong Kong, England, Canada and theUnitedStates. Themain languageofinstruction in the international schools inHongKong isEnglish.Ifyourchild strugglesinEnglishthebestthingyoucandoisstartEnglish lessonsassoonasyoupossiblycan. Itwill boostyourchild’s chancesofadmission.Mandarin istaughtatmostinternational schoolsat various levels and intensity. All schools are “private” in the sense that expatriates must apply to each school and pay tuition fees, some of the international schools operate on a debenture system. Debentures are similar to a non- interest bearing bond. In most instances there are two classes of debenture: corporate or individual. The corporate debentures are pricier,but offer a better chance of admission into the school. Many schools have already issued the maximum number of corporate debentures possible. Toget one now,a companymust put its name on awaiting list andwait for an existing corporate debenture holder to redeem its holdings. Personal debentures are issued after a child’s acceptance into the school and are redeemable when the child leaves.Inaddition to debentures, thereare yearly tuition fees that areusually payable a term in advance. Withtherecentincrease inexpatriatesworking inHongKong,thebiggestchallengestudent’s face issecuringaspace inaschool.Mostschoolshave longwaitlists forentryandyourposition on the waitlist can be affected by date of application submission. We recommend you start your search as soon as you can, visit the school links provided within this guide or visit http:// hongkong.brookfieldgrs.com for more information on schools in Hong Kong prior to your arrival.

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