I heard that Renaissance College (RC) is quite commercial overall. For example, RC is letting the school classrooms to GSIS for their primary school since currently GSIS needs to redevelop and renovate their campus; RC is also letting its facilities and venue to many outside parties like swimming clubs, University of Melbourne, and others. Is that true? I understand that the school has to generate income as it doesn't receive recurrent government subsidy. But I am a bit worried about if this business mode of running like a commercial organization would somehow affect the development on the academic side? I am seriously considering this school for my child. Please share your knowledge of and view on this issue. Thank you.
How would you choose: Renaissance PYP v.s. Shatin Junior
- Thread starter miclint
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gentlemanhk
New member
I personally don't think that it's an issue. I heard that some other top schools are also renting their facilities out. Everyone is speaking very highly about their head of school (unfortunately will be leaving soon) who managed to bring in the best in class teachers. I would build my trust on their established policies/model as well as their well regarded teaching staff. Who will eventually be their new head may actually be a key concern to some parents.
My friend who recently had worked on a joint project with Renaissance told me that she was very impressed by the Renaissance's teachers as they are all very nice and demonstrated their passion on education. Therefore I don't have much concern and I am also seriously considering Renaissance.
Post your final decision and hope that our kids become classmates soon!
gentlemanhk
New member
Hi Miclint,
VSA, since my girl is currently at their K2 but I actually wouldn't consider them as international. While they have an international perspective and is a through-train IB school, almost all their students are local.
When I said seriously considering RC, I think our decision has pretty much been made. It is just that we still have time to think and change our mind. But I'm quite sure that we wouldn't, RC perfectly fits our requirements.
Frankly, we are lazy parents who don't want to have much troubles, struggles and disappointments since we are already happy enough to let our girl continued with VSA (still need to go through an interview in coming May/June though). Our preference is to have our girl exposed to a more international environment which VSA is lacking of. Other than this, we are pretty happy with both their hardware (the new campus) and software (IB and their teaching methods). We did think about Canadian and CIS but eventually didn't apply for them (our laziness being the key reason and also the $$!).
Our other options are letting our girl continue her K3, then apply for other non-traditional local schools (those with more international approach) such as St. Stephen, Choi Kai Yau or Pui Kiu (I don't like traditional local schools regardless their fame as I hate the spoon feeding type of education). But these schools are also not easy to get in and we always have RC on top of our priority, so our choice is pretty clear.
I don't know too much about SJS but the comments I heard are pretty positive and I think they are even more difficult to get in than RC. I can understand your struggle as you have both excellent schools to choose from but I think your struggle is many other parents' wishes honestly!
If everything being equal, how would you compare their campuses and the commute? I have not been to SJS.
Cheers!
VSA, since my girl is currently at their K2 but I actually wouldn't consider them as international. While they have an international perspective and is a through-train IB school, almost all their students are local.
When I said seriously considering RC, I think our decision has pretty much been made. It is just that we still have time to think and change our mind. But I'm quite sure that we wouldn't, RC perfectly fits our requirements.
Frankly, we are lazy parents who don't want to have much troubles, struggles and disappointments since we are already happy enough to let our girl continued with VSA (still need to go through an interview in coming May/June though). Our preference is to have our girl exposed to a more international environment which VSA is lacking of. Other than this, we are pretty happy with both their hardware (the new campus) and software (IB and their teaching methods). We did think about Canadian and CIS but eventually didn't apply for them (our laziness being the key reason and also the $$!).
Our other options are letting our girl continue her K3, then apply for other non-traditional local schools (those with more international approach) such as St. Stephen, Choi Kai Yau or Pui Kiu (I don't like traditional local schools regardless their fame as I hate the spoon feeding type of education). But these schools are also not easy to get in and we always have RC on top of our priority, so our choice is pretty clear.
I don't know too much about SJS but the comments I heard are pretty positive and I think they are even more difficult to get in than RC. I can understand your struggle as you have both excellent schools to choose from but I think your struggle is many other parents' wishes honestly!
If everything being equal, how would you compare their campuses and the commute? I have not been to SJS.
Cheers!
There is no doubt that both SJS and RC are good school, but with different focus. I transferred my daughter to RC from another IS (not ESF) last August for the simple reason that RC has accredited IB from primary to senior high schools and an excellent Chinese program. Moreover, from my observation, teachers at RC are professional and well qualified. They are no different from those teachers that we encountered in other good international schools.
My child is a native English and Chinese speaker. She has advanced literate level in English than her age but illiterate in Chinese. She had Chinese lessons in other international schools (with NO Chinese focus), but is only able to read and write less than 10 Chinese characters for all these years. So far, her progress in Chinese learning at RC is slow, which is quite understandable to me, considering her low starting level. The big deal to me is that she is now taking Chinese learning seriously.
SJS is definitely a good school. I heard that SJS will also introduce a 5-day-per-week Chinese learning program shortly. I don't know whether SJS' IB programs at primary and middle schools are accredited or not. If all these measures are well pushed through at SJS, the difference between the two will lie on: (1) SJS' longer history vs. RC's high moral in teachers, students and parents; (2) facilities; (3) students' demographic composition; (4) focus in student selection process; and (4) school fees.
I'd like to add more regarding RC's student selection process. I noticed that some students from my kids' IS were rejected by RC although they are also native English speaking, some of which are even westerners. When I look at those transferring students in my child's batch, I noticed that a few are NOT so good at English as those applicants from my child's previous IS but rejected by RC. I am wondering RC may focus more on students' potentiality aside from other criteria and be confident enough to explore its students' potentiality and bring the same into a full play through its IB program. I may be wrong and welcome other parents' corrections.
My child is a native English and Chinese speaker. She has advanced literate level in English than her age but illiterate in Chinese. She had Chinese lessons in other international schools (with NO Chinese focus), but is only able to read and write less than 10 Chinese characters for all these years. So far, her progress in Chinese learning at RC is slow, which is quite understandable to me, considering her low starting level. The big deal to me is that she is now taking Chinese learning seriously.
SJS is definitely a good school. I heard that SJS will also introduce a 5-day-per-week Chinese learning program shortly. I don't know whether SJS' IB programs at primary and middle schools are accredited or not. If all these measures are well pushed through at SJS, the difference between the two will lie on: (1) SJS' longer history vs. RC's high moral in teachers, students and parents; (2) facilities; (3) students' demographic composition; (4) focus in student selection process; and (4) school fees.
I'd like to add more regarding RC's student selection process. I noticed that some students from my kids' IS were rejected by RC although they are also native English speaking, some of which are even westerners. When I look at those transferring students in my child's batch, I noticed that a few are NOT so good at English as those applicants from my child's previous IS but rejected by RC. I am wondering RC may focus more on students' potentiality aside from other criteria and be confident enough to explore its students' potentiality and bring the same into a full play through its IB program. I may be wrong and welcome other parents' corrections.