Nervous Mom

Loupou, thanks for sharing yr experience with us.

This morning, when I took my child to the school bus, I saw other kids had their first assessment report. My child's class teacher told me they've changed the method of assessment since this semester. It'll be based on continuing assessment rather than exam, though there's still the exam. I see they're divided the second semester into 4 sections, which means 1 assessment for every 4 weeks. I've learnt the students got their first assessment this semester on the second week of school, assessing things they learnt in the first semester. Some parents have complained, what, another assessment again? The teachers are so busy doing the assessment stuff I doubt they have time to teach the children. My daughter is new and so exempted from the first assessement, but I've got the sheet for the area covered for the first section so it means 2nd assessment soon.

Btw, my child and I went to a carnival organized by the school last week. We had a great time. But then the teachers have spent a lot of time organising this, which have tired them out, definitely.

The above is a general phenonmenon, a tip of the ice-berg. My ex-helper has complained to me about her daughter, a kindie teacher, having to work overtime every day even during the weekends, leaving her no time to date.
Why so much work for the teachers? Everybody else (other schools) are doing the same, organising carnivals and handing out leaflets to please the parents, the children and attract more students, because there're just not enough students and some schools will close down soon. This is a really sick mentality, tiring everybody else to survive. But then, where else can I take my child to if I want to stay in the local system?
 
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Hi Valencia,

Really, try and take a look at DSS schools. They have more freedom from the constant and ever-changing EMB "reforms".

Also, one of my colleagues has a child in the HKIEd kindergartent and she says it's great (but out in Tai Po).
 
Loupou,

Do you mean direct subsidiary schools? I don't think it's the DSS that makes a diff. What makes a diff is the band 1 English medium schools will be free from some reforms by the education bureau, but the competition among local schools for students still exists. My daughter is in a private kindie with a private primary school, whereas the secondary school is English medium subsidiary. Some subsidiary schools have fewer homework, like the one my neice is in, but then her school goes from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, sometimes to 5:30pm if she sings in a choir. It is Chinese medium and not band 1, and may move to Tseung Kwan O in a few years. Sorry for my constant mumbling but the local system is just getting wronger and crazy, and most parents' attitudes are : "That's the way it is".
 
Hi loupou and valencia,
What's the difference between DSS and DBS?
I don't understand both of words.
I watched TV few days ago, it contains "Schools have to close down and how to survive to this", I thought why they have to close,although many schools are operating morning session and afternoon session, which I hated to set my child to wake up later in the morning for this ubnormal schedule.
 
Hi, Histamin,

DSS is direct subsidiary school, which means (to me) schools that had no school fees will have once they become DSS, schools which had lower school fees will have higher ones. These schools are all band one schools, no one will pay to study a non band-one school.

DBS is Diocesan Boys' School, its female equal is DGS, Diocesan Girls' School, NO.1 schools in HK.

Starting 2007, all local primary schools will be full day schools, because of the lack of students and childbirth basically. Secondary schools are full day, as always. Only kindergartens have am and pm sessions.

HK's education is abnormal, basically.:alien:
 
actually, i believe that most places have whole-day school... .HK was my first encounter with only half day primary schools...usually only kindergartens are half day(and in canada only for one year!)
 
Hi Valencia,

I think DSS does make a difference, because they don't have to conform to the EMB dictates so strictly. Some DSS are former Band-1 English medium schools, but others are start-ups, and in Cantonese medium.

When you say "won't make a difference" - I agree that there is a lot of competition for those places ('though nothing like for schools like La Salle, etc.), but once the child is enrolled in some of them - there* is* a difference in amount of home-work and style of learning (or so I'm told by my neighbors and colleagues who send their kids to some of these Cantonese medium DSS schools).

Are you on HK-Island? I think there are less DSS schools and they are, as you describe them, former band-1 aided schools, like St. Paul's.

Here's a list of DSS schools from the EMB <http://www.emb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_175/schlist2005-06_fees_e.pdf> , the primary schools are listed on pages 6-8.

There seem to be more in Kowloon and NT.
 
Thanks, Loupou,

Thanks for the list. But I think I didn't express myself clearly. I didn't mean the students compete for places as in schools like La Salle. It's the other way round, all schools don't have enough students so they're changing to full day schools, and they have to compete in order to have enough students, or else they'll have to close down. So the principal asks the teachers to do lots of things other than teaching, like organising activities to please the parents and students, or paying home visits individually, every student, asking the students to participate in extra-curricular activities and inter-school competitions, having extra-assessments, pushing the students' academic achievements, etc. I've heard even DPS has an open day, like other schools. I have received all sorts of school souvenirs from diff schools like leaflets, calendars, memo pads, lai see packets etc. You can see the competition BETWEEN SCHOOLS for students, not students for schools, is very keen. Btw, I didn't receive anything from the top schools in my district.

That's the problem, the schools exert pressure on teachers and students in order to survive.

I have a few good schools on my mind but I'm afraid my child will have lots of pressure surviving in those schools (sigh).

Sorry to be longwinded.
 
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