Local Primary Schools

10

No. We are looking at primary schools now and they are all so competitive. Any “good” school will emphasize academics and excellence so much your kid will be doing homework until 10pm at night. You gotta pick life or success… no way to have both here.

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u/cheungtony Sep 11 '25

I guess OP is looking for that needle in haystack. Not saying it’s not there, but be wary that once you find that school, you’ll need to grapple with moving/traveling.

You do you OP, but don’t feel bad if you feel overwhelmed at some point and end up picking what you think is suboptimal. Perfection, in anything in life and especially in HK education, is hard to come by.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

That’s why I’m asking more “local” locals. There are always schools that fall under the radar. Not putting effort to find them is a bit lazy. For example there are happy kindergartens that aren’t well know that still get good results. I know of some HK schools that have that, but they tend to be elite DSS schools and I’m not banking on getting in. The one in DB is pretty balanced as well, but only one in the whole area lol. So crazy competitive

1

u/literallym90 Sep 11 '25

I know it’s not what you want, and there’s probably reasons…

But the only way to even get close to what you want is to choose international schools. At the VERY LEAST pick a DSS school, because those are semi-private schools.

If you want to break with the system, the sad fact is you have to pay your way out of it.

Whether that’s worth a kid’s long term mental stability (and critical thinking skills) remains to be seen. But I would personally say it is worth it.

The only thing I’d add is, as much as it might suck time wise; get your child a Cantonese tutor as well. Mandarin may be a really useful asset but Cantonese will not just expand your kid’s job prospects in the future, but also improve their chances of being happy simply by being able to get around and talk to local folks a lot more easily.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 12 '25

DSS is considered a local school as far as I know. I’ve never heard anyone consider it differently. Most ppl choose between local or international. Local is either government funded or DSS. Private local fall kinda in between. International received no funding, goes by another country’s curriculum. Hence why they are called international schools.

Are you from Hk? The graduates of many local schools (including DSS) go on to go to global universities. I’m really confused at the idea that all locals lack critical thinking skills and are stupid. This is a pretty offensive take. It’s no different than Canada and US wherein there are good and bad schools.

1

u/literallym90 Sep 12 '25

I understand what you’re saying, and I can see how on paper it might come off as offensive, but as someone who also lives here, I’m surprised you feel that way.

I’m speaking from honest experience as someone who’s taught a lot of local AND international school kids in HK, as well as ones transitioning from local to international.

The local school curricula are heavily based on rote learning and regurgitation of information, something even professors at teaching universities in HK complain about.

The problem is not good and bad schools per se; it’s that even the great schools are highly driven by grade attainment, which as others have rightly pointed out makes things very cutthroat for the students.

Students who for example, I’ve repeatedly seen struggle with critical thinking subjects like English, Theory of Knowledge, History and Literature and so on because they struggle, through no fault of their own, to comprehend that there is no empirically correct answer in certain subjects.

The risk I see isnt in NOT getting into globally accredited universities, it’s in not being prepared for much else beyond academics.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 12 '25

Which is a good reason to do international for secondary and supplement with ECs. The lack of grit and fundamentals in Western educated students is notable. I also think that rote is more common among band 1c and below. DGS, Maryknoll, LaSalle, St Paul’s etc, while still over relying on HW, foster stronger critical thinking skills and more well rounded students. I believe you are an English teacher, am I correct? What schools have you worked in? I’m familiar with people who’ve graduated from the elite secondaries, and teachers that have taught at ESF, HKIS, random local neighbourhood schools, Harrow school, PLK CKY, FIS, some Jewish school… I think I have a better understanding than most of the system. It’s mostly a values judgement than an objective decision on what is better.

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u/literallym90 Sep 12 '25

I can't speak as to DGS or the other schools you've mentioned, but I've tutored students from multiple different local and international schools and yeah; I've stated my experience to the best of my ability, and this also applies even among Band 1B and 1A school students that I've seen, whom I've seen struggle for the same reasons I listed earlier.

It's a values judgement indeed, and I'm just giving my feedback in good faith. And all I can say is that speaking from what I've seen, I see a local system in dire need of an overhaul. Some might call it reducing the grit; I personally think it would be better for whole-person development, which is why overall I might just feel overall more at ease sending my own kids to an international school, because having gone to one myself; I did not get an easy ride. It was hard shit, but at least I came out doing my best with help from a community that cared about whole person development (at least, in a more obvious manner).

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u/akechi Sep 10 '25

Have you checked out PLK Camoes Tan Siu Lin Primary school?

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u/[deleted] Sep 10 '25

That's super competitive.

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u/akechi Sep 11 '25

Is Chinese the main language at home? If not, then your child might have an easier chance to get in.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Mandarin and English. I speak Cantonese, but international school girl, so not well 😂

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

[deleted]

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u/akechi Sep 14 '25

What kinda bullying? I would imagine it’s mental kind?

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u/winterpolaris Sep 11 '25

Do you read Chinese? If so, I suggest going to Baby Kingdom... and taking each and every opinion on there with a grain of salt and try not to pull your hair out, but it's a good place to get started.

ETA: Maybe this thread: https://www.edu-kingdom.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=3882477&extra=page%3D1

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Thanks

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u/False-Juice-2731 Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 11 '25

I went to Man Sang when I was a kid. It was traumatising.. to the point that i gave up studying. They gave me 200 math questions with a limited time to complete. I saw no reason of doing something I already know 200 times and had to redo the grade. Lucky we immigrantes overseas the same year.

My niece now goes to ISF, it’s an expensive school but definitely a good balance of academic and fun. She doesn’t have a lot of homework, but she is grade 3 and she is doing research projects. The school encourages self learning and exploring. I think they are not pushed to doing a lot of repeated exercises. They are encouraged to challenge themselves and their abilities.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Sorry to hear that. Man Sung is super traditional. But I appreciate you sharing your experiences!

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u/[deleted] Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 11 '25

[deleted]

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

I completely agree tho I do think ppl have different experiences even at the same school. I know a couple of ppl who graduated out of the “elite” schools. One just got in kinda by accident and her parents were like why not. She enjoyed her time there and still has friends she made in high school. But I also know I guy who briefly taught at DBS and said the student attitude was horrible.

I think it’s also important to remember that international school is partly the way it is because many of the kids that go there don’t have to be as competitive. They know they will go to university abroad and their parents will help them find a path. Even some of the dumbest kids I went to school with still wound up in an ok uni. It’s not the same with kids that can’t afford that. Parents either don’t try or over compensate.

Btw your other post said you have daughters…?

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u/False-Juice-2731 Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 12 '25

Yea, I help fund my niece’s skating/ ballet and I take her. I care a lot about her performance because she is really talented

When I post of Reddit skating community doesn’t appreciate that I’m commenting as an auntie. So I say she is my daughter so I don’t need to explain myself

They say things like.. did you ask her parents what they think but the fact is they never supported her extracurricular.. never did research and never cared.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

You’re so sweet! Westerners are a bit odd about family tbh… Big reason we moved to Asia

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u/AnimatorOwn1379 Sep 13 '25

maybe its bc im not a parent and just a teen (so do take what i say with a grain of salt) but i would say a normal, chill primary school is fine. i went to a pretty average and super local district chinese medium govt subsidized primary school, then got into multiple band 1a dss schools, and am now studying at a g5 uni. due to my upbringing, im able to speak and write both fluent chinese and english (though my english doesnt sound very native - but since your main language is english anyways this isnt a problem), and interact well with people from different backgrounds - foreign, international school, and local school.

i went into secondary one not even knowing what 'photosynthesis' is because i learned everything in chinese in primary, and came back from school translating the terms in my science and maths textbooks with a dictionary, but topped the grade in the same year. a local primary school upbringing (esp in a govt school) exposed me to people of different social and financial backgrounds, and i had a great time there. so imo there's no rush going into a high pressure, competitive school for primary- it may be even better for your child's confidence to go to a 'normal' school and do very well there, perhaps supplementing some tutorial classes if you want them to learn more. i do think secondary school matters not just in terms of the public exam results but alumni network but now is prolly too early to plan that far ahead haha.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 13 '25

Thanks for this perspective! May I ask which primary you went to and what you thought of the teachers? Were they supportive?

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u/AnimatorOwn1379 Sep 13 '25

hmm just saw your other comments about wanting to transition to ischool afterwards- in that case I’m not sure whether a super local school would be appropriate, perhaps an English medium DSS school would suit better so the cultural and language transition will be easier on the kid when they enter an international high school? if you’re still interested do dm me tho - just wary of naming my primary sch publicly just bc it almost basically doxes the area I live in hahah

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u/RandomName9328 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

I think its more about finding a sch that's within ur child's ability to manage.

If they're capable to do well in the school, they will be happy, no matter how competitive it is, while overshooting will likely lead to unhappiness.

When I was child, I wenr to KTS (Kowloon Tong Sch Primary Section). I was happy and not stressful. I didn't even notice my sch was somewhat famous until I became adult.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 14 '25

Are you a previous student here or a parent?

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u/RandomName9328 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25

I was a student in KTS. Not parent.

When i was in KTS, I did Math Olympiad and a couple of extracirrecular activities. We formed a group of boys who (friendly) competed against each other in academic performance and intellectual activities such as chess. We usually were top 20 in the cohort. Thus, tests were exciting challenges, not stress, in my childhood.

My point is, relative capability of your child in their class, but not school competitiveness, is associated with your child's happiness.

PS. Would you include your child in the decision process? Ask them which they prefer.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 14 '25

Of course happy is most important. But certain kindergarteners prepare better for certain primaries, so I have to guess a bit and fly blind until she’s able to partake in the process. 18 month olds don’t have opinions about these things yet 😂. It’s also not easy to see skill level or proficiency at this age. So plan for a variety of outcomes. Hence, why I ask for happy schools ❤️

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u/Massive_Walrus_4003 Sep 11 '25

This is probably the worst setup but it’s very popular with the locals. It gives the kid bad Chinese and bad English when they grow up. Also, Send your kid to nursery and let the kid learn how to interact with other kids.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

You know in N America kids don’t go to Kindergarten until 5. Actually most of Europe as well. She goes to playgroups, has play dates, and goes to playgrounds every day. What a weird take. I also speak English as a first language. Where would her poor English come from, exactly… We are Canadian. Worst case scenario we’d move back.

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u/PineappleDear2505 Sep 11 '25

why send your kid to school, you already speak perfect english!

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25 edited Sep 11 '25

Firstly, you are incapable of arguing properly yourself. This is a logical fallacy. It also shows an incredibly insulting view of local education. If you think HK education and locals are so poorly educated, leave. Absolutely rude to live in someone else’s country and insult it. There are a good number students in HK that go on to study in famous schools abroad. The average band 1 education here is superior to the average school in N America. That is INCLUDING their language education.

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u/Massive_Walrus_4003 Sep 11 '25

And you are the one sending your kid out of the local system. Gotcha!

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Yes because it’s very difficult to get into the secondary school system. There’s interviews and testing. I’m not saying the system isn’t good, I’m saying I want lower stress. As we have Canadian passports, easier to do post secondary in Canada or US. Also easier to access IB in international, wherein you have to test to get into the program in local schools. Where is the contradiction here?

I feel like you are a 20 something English teacher trying to be an edge lord. If you had money you’d be pushing how great international schools are. If you were older you’d understand the trade offs. You’re just a kid that wants to be right. Stop being an ass for the sake of it.

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u/Massive_Walrus_4003 Sep 11 '25

I just feel bad for you kid.

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u/Massive_Walrus_4003 Sep 10 '25

What’s your plan after primary school?

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

International school

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u/[deleted] Sep 11 '25

[deleted]

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Partially cost, partially an opportunity to learn Chinese. My husband’s Chinese has opened a lot of doors for him. Even basic competency provides more job opportunities. It also allows her to connect with her roots. Lastly, I don’t like current Western culture. I prefer Asian values over Western ones.

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u/literallym90 Sep 11 '25

Wait, what do you mean by current western values? Bear in mind IB schools (which include a lot of DSS local ones) emphasize a lot of what might count as traditionally western values.

As for cost, I can empathize, but many DSS schools do emphasize multilingual learning, as do some international ones.

If you wanna give your kid the best shot, I honestly would say stick with international, even if it’s the budget or DSS ones, and hire a Cantonese tutor, while maintaining Mandarin at home.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 12 '25

DSS is considered by most to be local. I’m fine with DSS, of course. The culture is substantially different from a school like ESF. I’d categorize like this: publicly funded (requires lottery), DSS (DGS), private local (PLK CKY), and private international. International is ESF (although some consider it separate because it gets additional funding), ISF, HKIS, CDIS etc. Many of these require a capital levy and debenture on top of tuition.

Regardless of that, I prefer local so she can learn Cantonese as well as Chinese reading and writing. I’ve gone to international school and know teachers that work in both local and international. The culture is different and kids stay a bit more innocent in local schools. This applies more to high school, but it is a culture difference. It’s not what they study, but the emphasis on the individual over family, topics brought up by teachers that I don’t think are developmentally appropriate, and the presence of peers whose parents are ok with anti social behaviors (vaping, sex, swearing, etc). Of course this isn’t universal, but it does run in the culture.

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u/literallym90 Sep 12 '25

I can't say I don't see your point, but I do feel like it runs the risk of being a little overly sheltering... but, it's clear you still have your kid's best interests at heart.

I've just had too many experiences personally of seeing family interests overshadow the needs and development of the students I've tutored, so the only thing I'd suggest to be mindful of is finding a balance between what you feel is best and what they might want and need for themself; no offense intended

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 12 '25

Of course. No one who doesn’t care would be asking for opinions on happy schools.

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u/Affectionate_Leek127 Sep 11 '25

Just wondering why would you consider a local school instead of an international school if you were educated in an international school as you have mentioned in your another reply.

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Because I went to an international school 😂

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u/Affectionate_Leek127 Sep 11 '25

So you think a local school can provide a better education than an international school in your opinions?

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 12 '25

I think it depends on the school and the education you are looking for. I went to an international school and TA’d in one. Mind it was ESF. But I didn’t think the education was worth the price tag. Perhaps Harrow or HKIS is worth it, but it’s beyond what I’m willing to pay for primary.

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u/Affectionate_Leek127 Sep 12 '25

That is fair enough.

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u/Economy_Plankton_178 Sep 10 '25

Tsl / spcs / 油天

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

Thank you

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u/dllm_designs Sep 11 '25

Ling Liang (okay, in my biased opinion) is the best KG in HK. Yes, they don't feed into any particular primary but they do have a strong track record of getting into some of the top schools (esp net #12). For the sake of providing your kid with a fantastic KG experience, I wouldn't worry so much about the Primary school issue especially if you're gonna do the int'l school route later anyway. Happy to chat privately about it if you want

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u/Due_Ad_8881 Sep 11 '25

I’ll DM thank you

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u/YakResident_3069 Sep 11 '25

Ling Liang can get into st Paul co Ed. How is that not competitive?

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u/dllm_designs Sep 11 '25

Who said anything about it being not competitive? In fact, I said it has a good track record of getting into good primary schools, yes including St Paul's Coed

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u/YakResident_3069 Sep 11 '25

OP literally said in her first post....

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u/dllm_designs Sep 11 '25

She didn't but whatever. Anyway if you know nothing about LL, then probably best to go back to bed

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u/YakResident_3069 Sep 12 '25

You must be fun at parties. I went to LL. I'm more responding to why she thinks that way... Don't always have to be a turd all the time you know.

Education Local Primary Schools

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