Ming Wai International Preschool and Kindergarten

T

trttrt

Registered User
Hi, like to find out if anyone has views to share on the school. My family relocated to HK a few weeks ago and I was running out of places to place my 2 yr old. We found Ming Wai and I thought it was an excellent choice since they use English and Mandarin. My child is rather advanced in her linguistic skills in both languages. We paid for a spot and are due to start next month. However, today when we went for orientation, I was dismayed to find it seems pretty much like a local school, using mainly Cantonese which neither me nor my child understand. The kids were all local as well. I was stressed out through the entire session as I did not understand a word the teachers were saying. If anyone has any idea on the school, I hope you can kindly share. I am open to my child learning Cantonese but if it means zero or hardly any exposure to English or Mandarin, I am likely to switch schools for her. My child is usually a very happy and cheery child but she did not seem very happy at the kindy. Am not sure if it is because she did not understand a word the teachers were saying or because it was slightly too crowded.
 
Hi, I has worked at Ming Wai Kindergarten before and I can tell you. This sort of "international" school is never really an international school. Teachers speak Cantonese to the children even if they were known as "English" or "Mandarin" teacher. The snacks were absolutely rubbish. The school in fact is very commercial. I remember I was forced to donate $50 to charity because they wanted to look better on the news. It is not the value that I am donating, but I am very upset that I was forced to do it not that I can choose to do it. The books are totally not suitable for the age they are teaching. For the whole day class, they told the parents that they will be doing art and craft or doing something at least educational. But what I see is that for the full day class, children will first have their lunch, then they will take a long nap. By the time they get up they will be served with another snack and then they just watch telly for the whole time, waiting for their parents to come pick them up. I seriously cannot see how educational this is. I am so fed up with this school, I quit at the end.
 
if your child has only been there for a few weeks, it is impossible to tell whether or not she will enjoy it. ALL 2 year olds take at least a month, some take longer, in order to settle into school. this time will be lengthened if they are studying in a different language. it's perfectly normal.
 
Thanks

Hi gie_k101, thanks for your feedback. In fact, our gut feel of the school is not great too. We are thinking of perhaps foregoing the fees we have paid so far. I am in two minds. My hb thinks it's important for our child to be
happy and have proper learning. I think that's important, but for us to remain in hk for a longer term, i thought it wld be useful for her to pick up some social, language and survival skills from the locals as well. I want to share on something that bothered me very much though.. The teacher whipped out an English book and read it to the class in Cantonese. Throughout the entire book, she mispronounced the only English word that was being used. I want my child to pick up Cantonese but not at the expense of picking up strange English along the way.. This is so tough!
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Carang, thanks for your reply too. I know kids take longer to ease into the environment sometimes. I am not worried about my child not coping as she is very adaptable. In fact she started attending summer classes in one of the English preschools and teachers tell me she is a gem and great in class. After just a week or so, she started " running" into the school, sparing no time for kisses and goodbyes for me.. She does seem so happy here but unfortunately they have no vacancies for her in the new school term which is why I had to seek alternatives.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
trttrt - I live very close to Ming Wai and considered putting my daughter there - however I knew it really wasn't "international" at all. The ONLY way I would send my daughter there would be in the local Cantonese speaking stream. I know that a lot of locals do think highly of the school (plus the uniform for the girls is pretty cute). If you're in the local stream, you don't need to worry about them pronouncing things wrong etc, since they are using their native language. My daughter is mixed but her daddy doesn't speak to her very much in Cantonese so she is not bilingual. It would have been a good way for her to learn some Cantonese, but we ended up going the international route...
 
if your daughter is getting english at home, then i wouldn't worry too much about mispronunciation at school. your daughter will learn properly from you. at least that's what i've found after sending my two the local/cantonese route for school.

i don't expect stellar english from the school. they get that at home. i expect stellar cantonese at school, because, although hubby is local chinese, he's too lazy when it comes to speaking cantonese to the kids at home. after 3 years in kindergarten, my son is about 85% bilingual. i figure that after 1 more year in P1, he will be 100% bilingual. my daughter, who is much more advanced verbally, is about 60% after 1 year in kindie.
 
Thanks to all of u which responded to me. Have decided against sending my child to MW after serious consideration. We have to forfeit the 6k which has been paid. I feel that there is serious misrepresentation on their website which stated under the international stream that they use mainly English and putonghua for their classes. At the point of signing up, they did not correct me when I checked again. Only during the orientation when I asked one of the assistant teacher did I find out, it's English and Cantonese, with some 20 minute class of pth, which I am not sure really takes place. I also find the main class teacher not very loving. You can tell from a person's eyes and expression. When the 2 year olds started moving around when they should be seated, she told them to sit down with a 'smile' but I could really tell she very much wanted to snap at them if the parents were not around. I am not very comfortable with what I saw, I guess. Thus we decided to forfeit it. My child is attending another school now, though small and cozy, has got excellent teachers who are loving and warm. My child skips to school everyday now and is always smiling n singing when I pick her up. :)
 
Hi, which school did you end up enrolling your daughter in. I'm in a dilemma which kindergarten I should apply for my 11 mth old. We're new to HK and finding the school system so competitive at such a young age.
 
Hi, does anyone know how is icms, Tin Hau school in Hong Kong? I am applying for my son's K1 for next year. He is currently 2 yes old. Thanks much!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top