Under priority one but no intervew at ESF

[wegetable]

Hi dimsum mom,

Thank you for your encouraging words. I feel that we will get in eventually, may or may not be this year though.

I have proof of address in H.K. and I told them on iour application the kids and I will move to Hong Kong on January 1st so there should no problem there. Woodland has a P1 class in Aberdeen, it is little far from where we will live but if we have no choice then it will be an option too. They do mention as more and more people find out they don't get accepted into any international school, their P1 get filled up too.

When I checked with the ESF office last week, they said almost all the applicants for QBS were under Cat. 1, only a handful of kids under Cat 2. There are two hundred some applicants competing for 120 P1 spots. Interesting enough, I was talking to someone in H.K. yesterday, her son in K3 and daughter in K1 are going to a reputable English medium local school. Many of their school mates speak English only because their parents only speak English to them at home and it seems to be the trend now because the parents want their kids speak better English than Chinese. Even they are local kids but when they apply for ESF, technically they qualify under Cat. 1 since English is their native language and some of them barely speak Cantonese. So when there is an increase in international school applications, these are not necessary all expats, they could be locals. Birth rate for year 2006 born was high so that contributes to why application increased so much this year. My husband's company owns a number of corporate debentures in few international schools but they are currently fully occupied with a waiting list. His HR dept. said a good number of expats are moving to H.K. soon so I don't see the demand of international school will go down anytime soon.

 

[Elise]

"2,893 children are competing for 1,278 Year 1 places"

ESF siblings will always edge out applicant with no siblings. Corporate surety top the list. I know of Cat 1 Year 1 students who have now been on the waiting list for a year. A shorter waiting list for Cat 1 Year 3? - waiting a year.
It will get harder and harder in the next couple of years as more and more Hong Kong parents will want ALL their kids in ESF rather than sending them to different schools, as has been very much a habit in the past.
The worst part of it - it doesn't matter what these siblings skills are like, they still get in.

 

[cha-cha]

esf kindy kids are not "guaranteed" interviews anymore, the wording has changed to "have priority" over other applicants in their respective categories.

my daughter is at an esf kindy, we didn't get a first round interview or a waitlist place interview.

 

[MommyTo3]

Siblings have priority not a guaranteed spot, which used to be the case. Most IS have sibling priority so ESF is no different. Not sure what the problem with that is. I wouldn't want my children in 3 different schools, not for me but also not for them. Especially the twins, they'll be in separate classes but at least same school, I hope.

With regards to skills, it does matter as they are not guaranteed a spot. On the other hand, ESF is very open minded in terms of special / individual need children. It offers education to a wide range of children with a wide range of skills. They're not tested in terms of reading, writing, etc. like many other schools do. Just because there are other suitable children on the list doesn't mean the siblings aren't equally suitable, despite possible short comings, but with other great skills.

Personally I am more annoyed with parents 'forgetting' to mention the Cantonese language skills in order to get in Cat 1, while ESF is clearly meant as a subsidised alternative for those who cannot enter the local system, like mine.

 

[Elise]

Didn't say siblings were guaranteed a spot - just stating the 'order'. To be fair, I think siblings need an interview too, it's only fair. Just because they're siblings doesn't mean they all perform as well as each other. And then you see some more able kids not get accepted.
Yes, parents do somewhat manipulate the home language skills with parents now trying to justify frequency of holidays in English speaking countries to therefore categorize their children as near native English speakers.
I'm an ESF teacher by the way!

 

[TheQuasimother]

Even they are local kids but when they apply for ESF, technically they qualify under Cat. 1 since English is their native language and some of them barely speak Cantonese. So when there is an increase in international school applications, these are not necessary all expats, they could be locals.

Actually, not. They are in Category 2. Our son (who is in an ESF kindie) has a schoolmate whose parents are both locals but mum is a British passport holder. The student did not get an interview (not even an interview to be on the waitlist as some of his schoolmates in Cat. 2 have) as the school which their residential address feeds into has 200 Cat. 1 applicants for 150 places. There are over 400 applicants in total. I hear the parents are worried as the child doesn't know any Cantonese as they've spent her entire childhood speaking and educating her in English only.

 

[TheQuasimother]

Elise, who decides who gets interviewed? Is it central admin or the individual ESF schools?

 

[TheQuasimother]

Personally I am more annoyed with parents 'forgetting' to mention the Cantonese language skills in order to get in Cat 1, while ESF is clearly meant as a subsidised alternative for those who cannot enter the local system, like mine.

I hear ya Mom2Sofie&Twins! Not all of us are on grand packages. Our child's education comes out of our own pocket. And to think that I'm working for a government education scheme and they can't even guarantee our kids a spot at any school!

If my child spoke and wrote Cantonese, we'd be sending him to a local kinder. But with two illiterate parents (as far as the Chinese language is concerned), we're playing with fire if we did!

Even though he's got interviews, we've been made so stressed as all schools seem to be oversubscribed even in Cat. 1! And, even his teacher has said that this year, there is just no guarantee!

 

[MommyTo3]

I hear ya Mom2Sofie&Twins! Not all of us are on grand packages. Our child's education comes out of our own pocket. And to think that I'm working for a government education scheme and they can't even guarantee our kids a spot at any school!

If my child spoke and wrote Cantonese, we'd be sending him to a local kinder. But with two illiterate parents (as far as the Chinese language is concerned), we're playing with fire if we did!

Even though he's got interviews, we've been made so stressed as all schools seem to be oversubscribed even in Cat. 1! And, even his teacher has said that this year, there is just no guarantee!

Exactly, same for us, all out of pocket. Luckily they have sibling priority and I work in the school, but no guarantee. I know my kids are fine kids, should have no problem, speak only English, but we are not native speakers, they're young, just turned 4 last week, but nothing is certain with these numbers. On this Chinese/English forum I actually read that people 'forget' to mention their Cantonese skills ...

 

[bbly]

I heard that it is the boys that are in the tough position this year. There are many more boys entering Y1 next year than girls. The ESF schools want to have balanced classes so near equal boys / girls. This may account for some discrepancies in interview status.