Like Tree120Likes

Local vs International vs ESF schools

Closed Thread
Page 5 of 13 FirstFirst ... 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... LastLast
  1. #41

    I've tutored people from local schools and it's terrible, at least with regards to English education. The quality just isn't there, the teachers aren't stringent enough to ensure a good enough basic education, they tend to focus more on policies rather than making sure that they are up to standard. (Basic example: they are more obsessed with saving their own reputations over checking their own work.) These schools are more obsessed with testing children repeatedly to ensure that the school stays within its band range than teaching them how to use language outside of the classroom setting. There are always, always tests after tests especially at TSA level. The homework level is immense.

    purplity likes this.

  2. #42

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    3,015

    Ok, let's inject an actual study into the discussion (though I'm sure the usual people will try to dismiss the study in one way or another because it doesn't fit their views).

    According to this study, and I quote....

    After surveying more than 1,000 students, the researchers found that primary pupils spend approximately 2.38 hours on homework a night. Form Four or Five students, in comparison, only spend 2.2 hours on homework a night. What a treat!
    67.6 percent of primary children also said they attended after school tutorials, compared to just 40 percent of secondary students.


    So it looks like the average local student is spending close to 2 and half hours studying in Primary school...crazy!!

    Hong Kong primary pupils do more homework than their secondary counterparts | Coconuts Hong Kong


  3. #43

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    3,015

    Here is another article and I quote:

    According to the survey, students are spending around 10 more minutes working on their homework compared to last year. Primary four students have the longest hours, with an average of 151 minutes necessary to work on their assignments every day.

    Professor Ho Lok-sang from the university’s Centre for Public Policy Studies said he believed children should not be put under “excessive drilling”.

    “These days, we see even primary one [and] primary two kids having a lot of homework. Even kindergarten children have homework. I think it’s really unreasonable because the younger they are, the less able they are to cope with homework,” Ho said.




    https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/04/0...rd-low-survey/

    Lord Dashwood likes this.

  4. #44

    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    1,262

    I'm currently teaching English a few days a week in a local kindergarten and I have two sons in a local primary school (P1 & P3).

    I have taught English at several local kindergartens and primary schools across the territory and have observed the following:

    Teachers spend a great deal of time every day grading and preparing homework. When we (specialist teachers...English/Putonghua/etc.) go to a classroom the local teacher is supposed to support us, more often than not she will spend the whole lesson grading and/or preparing homework.

    It is normal for teachers to sit with children and hold the pen in the kid's hand and 'do' the homework with them...it's very odd but very common.

    Teachers have to spend a disproportionate amount of time dealing with what seems to be an increasing number of S.E.N. students...this is not a problem limited to Hong but...it's in the mix...

    Teachers will often stick on a video...Peppa Pig or whatever, so they can catch up on homework/grading...the point being, a lot of the time absorbed dealing with homework grading and preparation and testing should be actual teaching time...it's NUTS.

    I want you to be very careful with studies that show increased homework results in increased test results. Homework, at least in local schools, is very narrowly focused towards passing tests...the quality of the material and the tests is often low...imo...

    I first noticed this at a teacher/parent meeting...discussing grades I realised that the lowest grade in the year was something like 79 and the highest was something like 83. I couldn't get his teacher to understand why I thought that was a problem in itself...

    I know personally dozens of children who are very high achievers in English tests but can't communicate in the language...the reverse is also true...in fact, most of the children I know who communicate well in English, who read a lot (proper books, not graded readers or the shit that's provided by local schools) often aren't getting the highest grades...

    I have spoken to colleagues, especially colleagues who are both teachers and parents and most agree that the homework burden is too high...so who wants this? The answer is local parents...they demand it.....interestingly, I've asked lots of local parents and most have said to me they don't like the homework...but they're scared the kid's results will suffer....so

    We have the vicious cycle which is based on fear...

    Parent fear drives schools to provide more homework which is targeted to tests....rote learning, unnecessary pressure on teachers resulting in poor quality 'in-classroom' lessons...in a way, the teaching duties are delegated to the parents...teachers don't have time to teach...

    Bright kids, nice kids are told they're failures, emotionally stunted little Poindexters are held up as successes, I'm talking children who cry if they see a picture of a dog or whatever.

    I used to be very vocal in my support of local schools...I thought it was a sin to let a child grow up here not speaking Canto. You know what? Get them lessons...let them do Kung Fu at an all Cantonese school...avoid local schools....I'm pulling both my boys out at the end of this year.

    It's insidious...the homework increases year by year....gradually you're not going to the park every evening...there's no more Uno, no more Jumpin' Gym...

    The first words out of your mouth when you see them..."How much homework do you have today?", because the whole fucking evening will hang on that point...

    And then, if they are not in the mood and it takes them until 10:30 to get it done...even the dog is crying.

    Sorry if this sounds disjointed, I've shoveled a fry up while typing this....

    My recommendation (and others have different experiences and mine might be different from yours), if you can afford it, avoid the local system....I was wrong and I'm man enough to admit it...I made a huge mistake and really I can't wait to get my sons out of it...I never do 'regrets', but I do regret it...I do regret all the fucking lost evenings...I'm very sorry about it.

    P.S. I just want to add...most of the teachers I know are good, they are good teachers and it's bullshit that they are forced to 'teach' like this too...it's a bloody shame and it's bad leadership...parents don't always know best...but what a sea-change it would be, what a cultural shift to move away from all this bloody testing and rote learning...

    Last edited by Lord Dashwood; 01-04-2016 at 11:28 AM.

  5. #45

    You're also conveniently forget that money is needed to hire IB teachers, money is needed for the materials, money is needed to schedule hours into the school schedule, money is needed for authorisation to turn the school into an officially recognised IB examination centre, money is needed for an external individual to moderate the examinations and mark papers and assignments etc. Can't see B2/3 schools receiving the funds for it.


  6. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by angeluscomplex:
    You're also conveniently forget that money is needed to hire IB teachers, money is needed for the materials, money is needed to schedule hours into the school schedule, money is needed for authorisation to turn the school into an officially recognised IB examination centre, money is needed for an external individual to moderate the examinations and mark papers and assignments etc. Can't see B2/3 schools receiving the funds for it.
    Just curious, what is the salary of a local teacher in a local school vs an expat teacher in an international school?

  7. #47

    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2,112
    Quote Originally Posted by Willow_321:
    Just curious, what is the salary of a local teacher in a local school vs an expat teacher in an international school?
    Could be a huge difference.

    Funnily enough, an expat teacher working at a local school but under the EDB NET scheme could be earning more than an expat teaching at an international school.

  8. #48

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    3,015
    Quote Originally Posted by Willow_321:
    Just curious, what is the salary of a local teacher in a local school vs an expat teacher in an international school?
    Given the same level of experience and education. I'm not sure about local schools, but I'm always amazed at the CV's of the intl. school teachers in Hong Kong. It's almost overkill in my opinion, but an overkill I will gladly accept.
    mrdollars likes this.

  9. #49

    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2,112
    Quote Originally Posted by angeluscomplex:
    I've tutored people from local schools and it's terrible, at least with regards to English education. The quality just isn't there, the teachers aren't stringent enough to ensure a good enough The homework level is immense.
    Care to clarify a bit on that? Are you lumping all local schools into one category and declaring them all bad?

  10. #50

    Chances are that for any non-ind. school to become an IB. certified school they'd need to find a way to justify the additional expenditure. It's not cheap, the int.schools can afford it because of their sky-high fees. Most parents who are (bluntly put from experience) sending anyone to a B1/2/3 school aren't going to be able to afford to ship little so-so to ANY foreign university unless the kid wins a scholarship so they don't really care about the IB. Even with scholarships studying abroad isn't at all cheap, ((UK home student fees £9,000 p/a alone) so many would favour local universities.

    IB educator certificates - International Baccalaureate®



    "Many teachers working within IB World Schools have never gained or do not hold a current teaching license/qualification, but are expert teachers in their fields. Therefore, the IB now accepts a specified amount of experience as a professional teacher as a replacement for possessing a current teaching license/qualification.Students in a Graduate Continuing Professional Development programme of study, for example a graduate certificate, diploma or masters programme, must successfully complete an IB-recognized programme of study and either hold a national teaching qualification/license or have a minimum of three years full-time professional teaching experience in a government-approved/registered school in the subject or age domain in which they intend to register for the certificate.
    This experience can be within an independent or private school provided the school is registered by the relevant national education authority."

    Last edited by angeluscomplex; 01-04-2016 at 05:08 PM.

Closed Thread
Page 5 of 13 FirstFirst ... 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... LastLast