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daily commute to DB

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by civil_servant:
    That's a private school. Do you know any other private school with a catchment area?
    It's still mind boggling that they decided to build a 'private' ESF school in DB with no catchment area, rather than a 'regular' ESF school that does have a catchment area. Because of this decision they bus kids into DB every day and the kids in DB get bused out. Where is the common sense? I do realise its a private school, hence why I wrote above ESF/government bigwigs and not just ESF bigwigs, because maybe this decision was taken at government level or somewhere else, but regardless is still a pretty silly decision.

  2. #22

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    @bdw totally agree, they've developed a family friendly expat enclave but provide no priority for the local schools to the families that live there. It's nonsensical! I see 6 year olds getting off the school bus at IFC then heading to the ferry, got to be at least 45 min door to door. I think many people move to DB before they are aware that the school situation is very bizarre.


  3. #23

    There is only one 30-seater bus coming from Tsing Yi. Many of these kids come from either Ma Wan or Tsing Yi. Very few come from beyond there. All the other buses come from Lantau, either Tung Chung or Lantau South. I don't think the catchment of Discovery College is any bigger than any of the other regular ESF schools. The remoteness of the school self-regulates its catchment.

    Many of the regular ESF schools are oversubscribed. So even if one falls within the catchment, they're not guaranteed a place. I don't think Discovery Bay kids experience anything different than kids in other areas of Hong Kong. There's simple a shortage of desired school places.

    jayinhongkong likes this.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdw:
    It's still mind boggling that they decided to build a 'private' ESF school in DB with no catchment area, rather than a 'regular' ESF school that does have a catchment area. Because of this decision they bus kids into DB every day and the kids in DB get bused out. Where is the common sense? I do realise its a private school, hence why I wrote above ESF/government bigwigs and not just ESF bigwigs, because maybe this decision was taken at government level or somewhere else, but regardless is still a pretty silly decision.
    don't know that you can blame Government in this case. typically when Government builds a housing estate it has space for supermarket, shopping centre, schools, transport hub, sometimes a sports area, although sometimes the facilities are provided late (years later) but DB is different, it operated by a private developer they build flats to maximise profit.

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by civil_servant:
    There is only one 30-seater bus coming from Tsing Yi. Many of these kids come from either Ma Wan or Tsing Yi. Very few come from beyond there. All the other buses come from Lantau, either Tung Chung or Lantau South. I don't think the catchment of Discovery College is any bigger than any of the other regular ESF schools. The remoteness of the school self-regulates its catchment.

    Many of the regular ESF schools are oversubscribed. So even if one falls within the catchment, they're not guaranteed a place. I don't think Discovery Bay kids experience anything different than kids in other areas of Hong Kong. There's simple a shortage of desired school places.
    You might have a couple of fair points here. All I can say is I left DB 8 years ago when I started going backwards on a waiting list I paid good money to join.
    jayinhongkong likes this.

  6. #26

    Thanks for your replies but sorry no concrete replies I am afraid ...
    1- Is there any travel card for DB residents for Ferry? Or combined MTR/Ferry card option?
    2- Any price cap for Ferry?

    DB for quality of air and space and I am looking for another job so Chai Wan now but could be somewhere else in the future. I am not worried about schools if I don't get places in the private ones then I am happy to send them to the local primary school or Tung Chung assuming there isn't application queue I hope!!! What do you think?

    Many thanks.


  7. #27

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    I thought that as the DB ferry was privately run the fare concessions between public transport forms don't apply for it.

    The transport card is a internet search away.

    Welcome to Discovery Bay

    There is I think one English medium school in TC, otherwise check out the Chinese ones. Don't know about the quality of them but perhaps that's not as important as locality.


  8. #28

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    I live in Tung Chung and pop over to DB occasionally when I want to experience HK-developer-style utopia for a few. Then I head back to sanity and proximity to the MTR.


  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdw:
    It's still mind boggling that they decided to build a 'private' ESF school in DB with no catchment area, rather than a 'regular' ESF school that does have a catchment area. Because of this decision they bus kids into DB every day and the kids in DB get bused out. Where is the common sense? I do realise its a private school, hence why I wrote above ESF/government bigwigs and not just ESF bigwigs, because maybe this decision was taken at government level or somewhere else, but regardless is still a pretty silly decision.
    The newer ESF schools (namely "Discovery College" and "Renaissance College" in Ma On Shan) are run by "ESF Educational Services Ltd", which is a subsidiary of the original ESF, and diversifies ESF's operations to include camps, extra curricular activities etc... - a way of bringing in additional revenue I suppose, knowing that the subsidies would eventually end. I remember when this was setup in the mid-90's, whilst I was still in school.

    DC and RC, as the newer schools not subject to subsidy receipts, are physically separate from the others in terms of corporate structure. You'll notice even the uniform styles are different (though this could be a coincidence). I can only imagine that the catchment issue is a relic of the past, and ESF saw no reason to apply it here when they weren't forced to.

    (BTW - I find it amusing this is posted under "travel". DB is far to many, and a fun day trip for some... but travel??)
    merchantms and bdw like this.

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Whatever HK:
    Thanks for your replies but sorry no concrete replies I am afraid ...
    1- Is there any travel card for DB residents for Ferry? Or combined MTR/Ferry card option?
    2- Any price cap for Ferry?
    Ferry costs are here: you need to buy a stored value card to get the discount. You can buy with Octopus too, but at the 'standard' price. More expensive at night.

    Central to Mui Wo costs $28. Central to DB costs $40. Why?