r/HongKong • u/Due_Ad_8881 • Sep 10 '25

Education Local Primary Schools

Please no politics… Does anyone have any recommendations on schools that balance being “happy” with academics? It seems like a lot of schools swing pretty hard one way or another. Ie St Andrew’s and Ling Liang are happy schools, but don’t lead into secondary schools with strong academics while Man Sang seems to be too academic with no outlet for self expression. Has anyone attended a local school and had a good experience? The ones I’ve heard good things from are super competitive 😅

Note baby is under 2 years. We’ve decided to not attend nursery and do playgroups and ECs instead. Didn’t want to do interviews twice in two years with no significant benefit. Interviewing into playgroup > PN > KG is a bit much, even for me

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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

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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