public schools?

[MovingIn07]

If only it was that easy!

I am assuming here, that having a Chinese dad and living in HK and probably going to a chinese kindergarten, it will be MUCh easier than for, say, a UK expat arriving new! Not to say, easy, but MUCH easier

Yep - I'm trying to learn - I actually find the grammar easy and learning words (in pin yin) easy, but speaking (pronunciation) and understanding (their pronunciation) very tricky; while reading and writing is downright impossible!

[jaykay]

Well one of the things is that written Chinese, I know stating the obvious here, is not a romanised language and needs to be learned from an early age if there is to be any form of real competency. Yes it is possible to learn 4,000 maybe 5,000 characters later on in life but it takes huge commitment and this is pretty much the basic required. The reality is that most do not bother.

Those from families with 2 European languages have an easier life, the romanised alphabet is pretty much standard across languages. In this case the argument for learning written later in life could be valid however learning romanised letters would not really hinder reading and only slight help with words would be required later.

And as we know from our French colleagues here, that their children learn French not so the Germans are able to identify the path of least resistance but because they are trying to instill some of their heritage and culture. The kids are both western and chinese so somehow we should be able to let them have the best of both as well. I'm sure as parents we will find out how to do that over the next few years.

[MovingIn07]

And I wish you all luck in that. Not easy - no right answers! Too hard for me, so good on you all for doing it.

[babswymak]

carang.. take a look at Logos Academy.

[kryzlowski]

To me the issue with locals schools isn't only the uncreative teaching style, but the work-load required to stop them falling to the bottom band schools. Unless you are happy for your child to spend hours and hours per night doing homework from aged 5 or 6 upwards, and see them hate it, turn into a robot, and have no childhood, then it isn't much of a viable option. There's also the issue that unless one of the parents is local, they cannot help with the work.. something most parents do a lot of here.

For expats who are not on tonnes of money this is a bit of an issue. International schools are pretty pricey.