Posted by
solomani
19 yrs ago
Not sure if this is the right forum but I maybe heading to HK on expat deal. I have two small children who are almost at school age. Can anyone point me in the right direction on resources about foreign schools in HK? Personal experience would be great as well.
My other concern is air pollution. Is there any particular part of HK which is less polluted than another part? I would assume the further from central you are the less polluted it is but, of course, I could be entirely wrong.
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I really wish I did not have to sound so negative, however as far as the pollution in Hong Kong is conccerned one can not be positive. No matter where you go in HK the pollution is dire, there maybe less in certain areas but it is not signifacant enough to make any difference to your health. Be warned it it horrible and the government seem to be doing little about it - the pollution here is often blamed on the PRC which is partly true however over 50% comes from vehicle emissions and yet the government have still not make it illegal to have your engine ideling - bit of a rant here I know, however levels of pollution here can not be glossed over they are very very bad so thing again if you are relocating to HK.
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qvong
19 yrs ago
Aside from the pollution lets touch on the other subject you asked about, schooling.
Schooling here is great for the kids so long as your children get into a school. Spaces are scarce here in the international schools but once you are in, the education for the most part is great. Depending where you are moving from UK, US, Aussie etc..there is a school here for you. Just get your children enrolled or on the waiting list as soon as possible. If you could touch on what kind of education system you are looking for I am sure many of us can steer you towards the right school. In the meantime most expats send their kids to Hong Kong International School, Hong Kong Academy, English School Foundation Schools, Chinese International, Canadian International School and ISF..there are more....google those first and check them out.
And in regards to the pollution..you got to keep an open mind. Yes the pollution here is bad but so are a lot of things in other places and if the relocation to HK is not a permanent one then the experience itself is worth it. Look at it this way, the local people have been living here for years and they are doing fine. The pollution here effects everyone differently but so does drinking alcohol and smoking and people are still doing it.
Good Luck!!!
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maz27
19 yrs ago
I've send you a pm with some information. Log into your control panel with your username to read it.
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Ed
19 yrs ago
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/atoz.asp
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Thanks all.
Ed,
I checked the AtoZ already. Didn't see anything under "schools" or "education". I didn't think "university" was appropriate.
Maz,
Will check my PM's. Thanks.
Gvong,
Thanks for that info on the schools. Will check each one. I am from Australia so an Australians school would be ideal otherwise British/Canadian or, heavens forbid, American will do in a pinch. I lived in Tokyo for 9 years and education there costs in the range of about 20k USD a child/year just on tuition. How expensive are the HK ones in comparison?
RE: Pollution. I agree entirely. I've never been and will certainly visit before I except a post there but my wife, who spent the first 15 years of her life in Manila, didn't notice the air pollution at all. So yeah, its much for muchness.
Is it comparable to LA which I have visited? Or Manila?
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Ed
19 yrs ago
Just about every english school in HK is listed here
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/directory.asp?cat=204
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Thanks Ed. Will go through the links today.
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English Schools Foundation (ESF) Schools are about $5,000 per month per child for primary school.
'Choice' of ESF school would normally depend on where you live - there are more primary schools (and probably more places available) on Hong Kong Island.
Australian International is in Kowloon which would mean longer travelling times if you wanted to live in a less polluted area.
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hi i've been here almost 3mths now and here's my perspective from someone with 'fresh' eyes vs being here so long, pollution doesnt matter.
During the holidays(xmas,ny) I definitely notice the air being less smoky/ scented (slight burnt, sour) so I think thats cause the factories in china and hk were on holiday.
When the weather gets warmer like the last few days, yes its definitely worse, the air here as a smell. Its unfortunate but I only realised it when I was in sg last week and started thinking : hey its scentless here. you do forget that clean air smells great.
In the last 3mths, I've gotten a slight persistent cough especially if I go to causeway bay, central and spend alot of time outdoors in town. When i'm at home (southside) it stops completely.
so i guess my point is, if you come from a place with great outdoors clean air you will definitely notice it and so will your kids. I'm adjusting - not liking it but learning to avoid certain really bad areas. hope this helps your decision or to prepare you.
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just realised you're moving from tokyo. there are no areas that are similar to moto azabu or juban or nishi azabu if thats what you're looking for. HK is just very very noisy all the time (that was a big adjustment for me actually)
Depending on what you're looking for, you might want to check out repulse bay, shouson hills.
I agree that HK offers alot of other great things to compensate but eat all the sushi now cause it will never ever be the same!!
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hapless, can't agree with you, pollution DOES matter if your at all concenred with its long term effects on yourself or your children.
I know more and more peole who are developing asthma and other illnesses that had no previous history and an increasing number of children from my kid's school are being relocated overseas for health reasons because of the pollution.
It's getting worse and the government continues to do little or nothing about it so make the most of the Chinese New Year respite.
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hi yardie, i agree with you actually- pollution does matter and I DO notice it but because I have no choice (i'm here arent i) i'm trying to make the best of it. I agree completely too as you can tell from my persistent cough since arrival. At the same time, I guess alot of us have no choice in being here (for a few years at least) and so trying to give as much info so that either they can make the best decision (not to come or come and accept that this will have to be a major factor)
- hence my name : hapless.
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Thanks again everyone.
Hapless,
We would be coming from Sydney and we noticed a definite improvement in air quality from Tokyo and Tokyo has relatively clean air.
Yardie,
Is that a good average price to use for reference? The 5k/month? For example are ESF schools mid-range or high-range for cost compared to other expat schools? Would I expect to pay a lot more at “named” schools like the Australian and American schools?
Once it gets closer I will contact the schools directly. But it’s too early to do that.
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ESF schools are at the lower end of the International School fee range - some are double or more and some also require a debenture before they'll even consider you.
Not sure about the Australian International School.
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qvong
19 yrs ago
Solomani,
Depending on how old your children are, it's never too late to get them enrolled especially if you know you are coming here. Most schools now are accepting applications and even conducting "reviews" for fall of 2007. So if either of your children will need to be in school by then and you are going to be here by then you should start contacting them now. Spaces are scarce and if your company does not have a debenture with a school, it's tougher to get into them. I have friends that arrived here in June and are still waiting to get her children into a school. They are 5 years of age and would be in kindergarten/prep now. Key is to get them in as early as possible. On average school here cost anywhere from $60K - $100K a year per child depending on what int'l school you choose. Most schools will have their fees posted on their sight under Admissions..Good Luck
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Today in HK it is beautiful but why don't you take a look for yourself using the Tourism webcams. Today it looks like the postcards but regularly it looks so bad you would think the cameras were broken. The pollution can really get you down. In coming here I highly recommend you factor into your budget lots of travel. HK gets a bit boring and claustrophobic and travel is the only way to beat it. Unlike Australia you can't just jump in the car and drive away for a weekend - there is nowhere to go - you will easily visit all the islands etc on your weekends here.
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/interactive/webcam/ig_webc_peak.jhtml
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Today HK is beautiful and it is on days like this when you wonder why on earth would you want to live any where else - it is wonderful. Shame it is only for a very few days of the year.
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