If you could have a debenture to any school....

[bkrent]

which would you choose, and why? (HKIS and Kellett not included)

We are not in Hong Kong yet, and know nothing about the schools or application strategies. We are fortunate that we'll have help from the company, but we are being asked to decide right away which debenture we would like for the 2013-14 school year. They are allocating them now and there is a greater demand for them even within the company than there is supply.

We plan, or hope to live in the South side. Our child is bilingual English-Mandarin and will be entering primary school. We shudder at the thought of sending him on a long bus ride and his small lungs soaking in traffic fumes every day, so we'd like to minimize that if possible. He seems to have a natural gift for logic and math, and we've been advised by his pediatrician as well as his current teacher to look for a school that would be willing to be flexible, allow him to do independent projects and potentially skip ahead down the line in those areas. However, he can also be painfully shy. And we feel a nurturing environment with small classes, attentive teachers and a well-rounded curriculum filled with fun activities exploring all areas, including the arts, would be equally if not more important.

What school(s) would you apply to if you were us? What would be your top choice school for a child like ours, and why?

 

[howardcoombs]

If your child is truly bilingual (fluent) top 2 on my list would be CIS and ISF. Both very good bilingual schools. ISF would be a lot closer to south side while CIS would be a relatively short bus ride away.

3rd choice would be CDNIS. Although an English school it has a very decent Mandarin programme and would be strong contender on the south side.

An outside contender : Singapore international school also has a decent mandarin programme but has a reputation to be rigid in teaching and structure. With your shy child and wanting flexibility, it may not be the best choice for you but still worth looking and considering.

 

[bkrent]

Much appreciation for those suggestions. I had never heard of ISF and CDNIS but definitely will now look into them.

 

[penguinsix]

You didn't add one other point: are you coming here forever, or is this a two year stint? Also, what country (education system) are you coming from and where do you want your child to go to university?

 

[howardcoombs]

ISF is a relatively new school (2000) with what was a fairly different agenda&programme (actually its still fairly unique). Due to its different approach, it attracted a lot of lovers as well as haters. These days its recognized as one of the top schools in Hong Kong and has long waiting lists to get in. They offer IB diploma.

CDNIS is a bit older (1991) and caters to mostly Chinese students with Canadian passports. It has a very loyal student body and little turnover when compared to many other schools. It is a highly sought after school with long waiting lists as well. They make it fairly easy to get into Canadian universities by offering Ontario curriculum. They are also an IB school.

 

[testuser]

Another issue to consider is the type of debenture. Some of the debentures are tradable instruments ( Typically corporate debentures and not personal ones ).

There is a fair mount of appreciation in debenture value at places like CDNIS / ISF at the moment.

Needless to say, they\'re expensive to buy.