Like Tree159Likes

ESF - What do you think?

Closed Thread
Page 3 of 17 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 ... LastLast
  1. #21

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:

    But maybe people on here are all products of expensive private school and that could explain. Or public schools in the US and UK/Australia are vastly superior to France school (doubt big time but..). I don't know.
    I attended private school in the US but the public high school in my town (suburb of NYC) has nicer facilities, smaller classes, and equivalent graduation results to ESF. The elementary schools are small and nurturing. The same is true in many towns in the area. A decent sized modern 3 bedroom house will cost USD $550K.
    Mrs. Jones likes this.

  2. #22

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    猴山
    Posts
    23,652
    Quote Originally Posted by merchantms:
    but the public high school in my town (suburb of NYC) has nicer facilities, smaller classes, and equivalent graduation results to ESF.
    Just having a look at the equivalent IB scores in New York.

    Only Private schools like Dwight get similar scores to ESF and they are more selective on entry and charge a lot more.

    EF Academy in upstate New York only average 31 Points but still charge more.

    Your local High School must of been very good

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,963
    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    The AVERAGE IB score for ESF schools is 36 points. Given they are not overly selective on entrance and have large class sizes this is very impressive. This level of results would put them in the top 25 of the 125 UK schools that take IB (usually only better schools take IB)

    36 IB points is the same as doing 5 'A' levels and getting 3 'A's and 2 'B's. Also you would need to take science, maths, language, humanities etc so not just your specialist area. IB is tough and rigorous.

    How many kids take 5 'A' levels in diverse subjects?
    That IB score is very very often a result of $100K/year worth of tutoring.

    We saw this first hand with several IB students in our area and social network.

    At the end, opted for A levels - the kids don't need more than 4 A levels (and this can be appropriately diversified and hedged - for example Maths, Physics, History and Economics for universities.). If the know what they want to study in Uni - even 3 A levels will do.

    No need for 7 subjects or 5 A-levels... and pushing kids to get perfect / high scores in subjects they have little interest in.
    Mrs. Jones likes this.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    5,044
    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    The AVERAGE IB score for ESF schools is 36 points. Given they are not overly selective on entrance and have large class sizes this is very impressive. This level of results would put them in the top 25 of the 125 UK schools that take IB (usually only better schools take IB)
    ESF cannot take credit for these results. The tutoring centers - ITS, Capstone, NTK...etc are getting the kids through IB. For #$% sake, ESF is still hiring teachers who are not IB trained/experience

  5. #25

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Pampanga, Philippines
    Posts
    29,763

    Interesting reading this as an outsider and I wonder how much the views are formed by the pressure cooker that is HK education.

    To me the most important thing is that the kid is happy at the school. My eldest went to a very poor Philippines state school (70 to a class with two shifts), Delia in HK, a failing school in the UK where 50% of the kids were on free school meals. Loved them all. She is now starting the third year of a pyschology degree (to be followed by a medical degree) and she is expecting to get a scholarship as a top performer.


  6. #26

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,963
    To me the most important thing is that the kid is happy at the school.
    A large part of the kid being happy, is having happy parents too.

  7. #27

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    Just having a look at the equivalent IB scores in New York.

    Only Private schools like Dwight get similar scores to ESF and they are more selective on entry and charge a lot more.

    EF Academy in upstate New York only average 31 Points but still charge more.

    Your local High School must of been very good
    Most US high schools don't offer IB.

    But I was basing on the university destinations of graduates. I can send you the link directly ( to avoid identifying myself due to small home town) but the list from 2016 includes:

    Brown University
    Cornell University
    Duke University
    Georgetown University
    New York University
    Sciences Po - Columbia University Dual BA Program
    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    The University of Texas, Austin
    University of Michigan
    University of Pennsylvania
    University of Virginia
    Yale University

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624
    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    That IB score is very very often a result of $100K/year worth of tutoring.

    We saw this first hand with several IB students in our area and social network.

    At the end, opted for A levels - the kids don't need more than 4 A levels (and this can be appropriately diversified and hedged - for example Maths, Physics, History and Economics for universities.). If the know what they want to study in Uni - even 3 A levels will do.

    No need for 7 subjects or 5 A-levels... and pushing kids to get perfect / high scores in subjects they have little interest in.
    So gone are the days where when you got out of high school you actually had a clue in math but also several languages geography, history, physics, natural science, philosophy, sports, economy, Technology...

    Now all you need is 3 subjects and you are good to go. Sad sad state of affairs.
    merchantms and BCD like this.

  9. #29

    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    4,188
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    So gone are the days where when you got out of high school you actually had a clue in math but also several languages geography, history, physics, natural science, philosophy, sports, economy, Technology...

    Now all you need is 3 subjects and you are good to go. Sad sad state of affairs.
    I agree. I think the systems that require a breadth of knowledge across subjects provide a better foundation for going to university and for life in general. So personally not a fan of A-Levels.
    Mat and BCD like this.

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,963
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:

    Now all you need is 3 subjects and you are good to go. Sad sad state of affairs.
    Never been the case for many systems. A-Levels in the UK is about 60 years old.

    What you're saying is IB, which essentially has French / Swiss roots is making education great again?!?

Closed Thread
Page 3 of 17 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 ... LastLast