Under priority one but no intervew at ESF

[rani]

Ocean,

ESF looks at a child's language abilities and not color of skin. Their application form does include a series of questions to determine a child's language background.

The application form is online here.
http://www.esf.edu.hk/node/89

You are right there are a number of Cantonese speaking kids in ESF. And ESF has accepted many Category 2 children in the past. But I'm sure this will change with the increase applications from Category 1 kids.

HTH

 

[MommyTo3]

Cat 1 = non-Cantonese speaker (but doesn't have to be a native English speaker, so can be Indian, Japanese, Korean, most Europeans, etc.). Cat 2 = Cantonese speakers. So if your child does not speak Cantonese, he/she cannot enter the local system (that's the assumption) and therefore gets priority in ESF. However, many schools are oversubscribed for Cat 1 already, let alone Cat 2. Also siblings, ESF Kindy, etc. get priority, so for some people chances are very very slim. Mandarin would not be a problem. Also, they'll ask in the application which language the parents and the child speak (although I have heard that many parents forget to mention their Cantonese at this stage, especially if the child is going through an English KG).

 

[ocean419]

Thanks! My plan right now is to send my boy to pre-nusery soon and there is this place that I think is really good but their pn program is bi-lingual in english and cantonese...if my son learns cantonese in his pn year I suppose he will be classified as cat2? Do they really test the child's cantonese speaking capability at the ESF kinder interview?

 

[MommyTo3]

Thanks! My plan right now is to send my boy to pre-nusery soon and there is this place that I think is really good but their pn program is bi-lingual in english and cantonese...if my son learns cantonese in his pn year I suppose he will be classified as cat2? Do they really test the child's cantonese speaking capability at the ESF kinder interview?

Yes, at some schools they do. I didn't think they did at our ESF, or at least I didn't get the impression that a Cantonese speaker was there (but maybe came later since there are plenty at the school), but if you send him to a bi-lingual kindy of course, they know. I wouldn't lie about it.

 

[banana_in_hk]

ESF kindy kids are all guaranteed an interview, doesn't matter if they're category 1 or 2. They may not be offered a space.

I don't think that's true since my son was not offered an interview this year even though he spent his two years at an ESF Kindergarten. He was put on the waiting list and now we've been informed that all the places have been taken up so he doesn't even have a chance to interview at all.

Still feeling shell-shocked

 

[rani]

Banana_in_Hk

Thx for letting us know. Does your son fall under Cat 1 or 2?

Have you applied for any other schools?

 

[banana_in_hk]

My son does not have siblings studying at ESF, however he can only speak English. I didn't apply to any other international primary school either.

 

[ocean419]

Oh how horrible is it and I feel the pain with you banana_in_hk. I would think that you son should be classified as cat 1 so this means that even cat 1+ESF kinder is not a guarantee for interview to ESF primary. Then who is getting admitted to ESF primary this year? Cat1+non-ESF kinder? How could they do this? I really want to know what the decision is based on.....So what is your plan now?

 

[Portia]

Banana - what school did your son apply for? If he only speaks English and went to an ESF school for 2 years, then he should be Category 1 priority 2.

There is only one priority level above that which is for siblings. It seems doubtful that the entire class would be full of Category 1 siblings. Maybe somehow your child has been classified as Category 2? Maybe you need to make inquiries/appeal because if you applied in time, do not speak any language other than English and attended ESF kinder for 2 years, it seems that your child should have been accepted.

My LO is a Category 1, priority 5 (child of alumni) and he had an intervew at Glenealy. Other children in his interview group were Category 1 but no priority.

 

[fungyuenyan]

I have the same questions asking to myself, Ocean 419.
Who fill up the school place?

My child are in Cat. 1 as Kowloon Junior School told us and studies in Starters School. She were invited for an interview in January and got the reply from KJS all the school places for Year 1 are full now. My child is the 2nd one on their "success wait list" and only will she get a place if and when there're two cancellations between now and December 2011.

KJS mentioned they received >450 applications this year, and around 230-250 're Cat. 1. They even could NOT consider to offer the interview to any of Cat. 2 applicants. School place for year 1 in KJS is 147.

Fact that nobody drops out after the first round of offer on 18 February. Everybody really paid for the deposit and RCL to secure a placement.

I wonder whether ESF could offer us a school place in any of their ESF schools even though it is out of our catchment zone. I heard it happened last few year....someone applied for Clear Water Bay School and3 full then was offered a place in Shatin Junior by the start of the school year. Is it true? Who can answer this question for me?

ESF Renaissance College offered my child a place however we turned it down. We'd like to focus on KJS. The worst is to have my child staying in Starters for primary One or sending her back to SFO for elementary.

Things happened strange this year (to me...probably most of year realised it already). One of the classmates of my child who is an Indian and has got the sibling in Kennedy School were offered a wait list place after the interview, meanwhile another classmate, a Caucasian applying for Braduary School were offered an interview in January and put into the wait list as well.

All the best. Good luck 2 all of you!