No places, would you home school for 2 terms??

N

NHYM

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My 9 yr old is in top 5 of waitlist list of school of my choice (For Year 5). He has 8 yr old sibling further down the list in year below. The school said maybe a place for him at Easter 2011 but more realistically Sept 2011. Thinking that if all other schools are full as well I could use a combination of different tutors and classes at Sylvan to make up the missing 2 terms rather than put them in a completely different school for one or two terms? Do people do homeschooling as a short term measure? This could be supplemented with lots of playdates and after school sports so they don't feel lonely. Any thoughts? What are my chances of finding a good unemployed teacher who could also cover the National Curriculum part time?
No option of Corporate Debentures.
We are coming from overseas so would also be a good opportunity to get them started in Mandarin and target any weak areas. Does this sound do-able??
 
There's a large homeschooling community in Hong Kong, especially in Discovery Bay, but do note that homeschooling is technically not allowed in Hong Kong, because there is compulsory education here. However, due to language issues, the government tends to turn a blind eye to foreign passport holders who choose to homeschool. That being said, I am not aware of people who use it for "temporary" purposes. You have to make sure that the school of your choice will allow you to enroll your children after not being in a formal school for approximately 7 months. They may have suggestions on what they may want you to cover from home during this period. Good luck!
 
thankyou yonge for your advice! The school didn't seem to thrilled at the prospect it has to be said! I am having some small luck with possible places today. Though still seems nearly impossible for the younger one.!
 
This is exactly my problem too! I have an eight-year-old and it looks like we'll have to relocate in Jan, with no school place confirmed and the likelihood of having to wait months.
Not sure what to do, he's such a sociable boy I'm concerned he'd been miserable at a tutoring centre. I wonder how many of us are in this situation, perhaps we could team up? Would be quite fun to do a mini school month by month if there were a group of kids. And yes, my son's not done mandarin before so could do with a crash course before starting at one of the HK schools.
Do let me know how you get on!
 
@dizzy, we might have a place for my 9 year old but still nothing for the 8 year old girl who is also very sociable. Definitely happy to try to team up! where do you plan to live as there is a Sylvan tutoring place in Repulse Bay which looks absolutely fine especially if there are a few kids in the group! I will definitely be doing that at first. We are hoping to live in Stanley but cannot find anything 'right' at the moment. Cannot decide between a place in Chung Hom Kok and a serviced apt while we wait and look a bit more. We will probably arrive very early Jan
 
Hi there
Well done on the (maybe) place for your older child! We're planning to live in Mid Levels as waitlisted for schools there, also spoke to Sylvan today and the director seems very nice. She said they try to group kids together and shift them around the different centres during the week to maximise socialising. We're thinking of relocating early Feb.
Why don't you drop me a PM
 
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Hi there, we arrived in HK at the beginning of December and I'll be homeschooling my 7.7 year old until she gets a school place and at the moment I don't know how long I'll be doing this for. Both girls have interviews next week and I shall be asking the school to tell me what they should both be covering to stop them from falling behind. I'm also looking at the Sylvan Centre as well for tutoring but would be based in Wanchai as we've rented a place in the mid-levels close to husband's work. I've been concerned about the social side of things for my daughter as she is also a sociable child and will be signing her up for some clubs at the Football Club but would love to meet up when you arrive. Also looking for a Mandarin tutor - if I find a good one I'll let you know. Please drop me a PM.
 
Have you looked at Korean International School, Delia School of Canada, Harbour School ... To cover until the summer? These schools arenot extremely popular and even though the level may be lower than some schools, the overall level in HKG is still very high.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I did see Harbour School and decided it's not an option for us. I haven't heard anything about Delia though, does anyone know anything about it? The Korean school I heard is pretty academic and that wouldn't suit my child.
 
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