Like many “little sea turtles” who returned to live in Hong Kong from the United States, our 7-year-old son Dongdong entered the “Singapore International School [Hong Kong]”. Speaking of which, Primary 4 Chinese tuition is a bit hasty.
We don’t know much about the teaching style of this school. We only know that this is a school established by the Ministry of Education of Singapore in Hong Kong. Quite a good reputation.
We guessed that the child has stayed in the United States for a long time and is not very adaptable to the local traditional school model in Hong Kong, so we hope that the child can have a relaxed environment after entering the “international school”.
When one semester was about to end, at four o’clock in the afternoon, my husband and I came to the classroom on time according to the agreed time to attend the parent meeting at the end of the semester.
The classroom is quiet and tidy, and there is no more noise from the children on weekdays; outside the classroom, parents are waiting for their seats in a quiet and orderly manner.
The three main teachers lined up and greeted the parents with smiles on their faces. On the table was Dongdong’s report card.
“This is the highest score in the grade, this is the lowest score in the grade, and this is the average score. Also, your child’s score.” The head teacher, any teacher, first handed over a small note full of numbers.
Before I had time to greet politely, my brain immediately entered the state of mathematical calculations, and quickly judged the ranking of my son’s grades.
The meeting with the teacher was only 15 minutes long. But when we came out of the classroom, sweat oozed from the foreheads of our husband and wife. This scene is no stranger to students and parents in Singapore.
But for us who have just returned from the United States, we are still a little unprepared.
The grades we got from school touched our nerves. I never imagined that an international school would also have test scores. What is the difference between this kind of invisible fierce competition and traditional local schools?
For those who don’t know much about Singapore’s education, it is obviously too simple to cover its educational philosophy with just the word “international school”.
When it comes to successful education in Singapore, we have to start with PISA. The full name of PISA is Program for International Student Assessment, which is managed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquartered in Paris.
By measuring and comparing the language, mathematics and science levels of 15-year-old students in more than 70 countries and regions, this project reflects the knowledge and skills that students in different countries will have in their future life, and also reflects the different countries.
Participation in education. The project is implemented every three years.
According to the latest report provided by the OECD in 2009, Singaporean students ranked third, second and third in the three tests of reading, mathematics and science respectively.
In order to achieve their ideal academic performance, most Singaporean students inevitably have to sacrifice their personal freedom at the expense of their personal freedom.
They start to face competition with their parents at an early age.
“I have already enrolled my son in 5 training classes, even though he is only 2 and a half years old.” When I heard the words of any teacher, the class leader, I couldn’t help being shocked.
“There is no way. I know that the first few students in my Primary 4 Chinese tuition class have spent money and effort to fight this way. It is because I know this too well that I have to do this.” Teacher He also looked helpless.
Facing Dongdong’s report card again, the child’s father and I seemed to understand a lot.
Our children are normal and intelligent. And that series of sighing grade-level rankings can only show that other people’s children are too advanced, and the parents of those children are too advanced.
Since that parent meeting, the number of times Dongdong appeared in the community playground after school has decreased significantly.
In order to make my son’s academic performance reach a “reasonable” level in the class, Dongdong also participated in math and English remedial classes after school, and I did extra Chinese exercises at home by myself. As for the school’s swimming class, there is also an extra “additional meal”, because last semester, Dongdong only got a C in swimming class.
This grade seems to make Dongdong doubt her athletic ability.
Remedial, remedial. This is the content of life that students in local schools in Hong Kong are accustomed to.
From kindergarten to high school, without exception. What we didn’t expect was that our own children had to join this team when they were in an international school.
We have to admit that we need to re-understand this international school, or in other words, re-understand the Singapore-style modern basic education it represents.
Most parents believe that the teaching environment of international schools is relaxed, without the competitive pressure of examinations and rankings, and parents and students will not work too hard.
In fact, they are both international schools, some are free and open, while others are traditional and rigorous. Among the international schools in Hong Kong, the British “English School Foundation”, the American “Hong Kong International School” and the “Canadian International School” are typical Western styles.
The “German Swiss International School” and the “Hong Kong Singapore International School” are traditional and rigorous.
Take the local primary schools in Singapore as an example, the schooling period is six years, and the first four years are the basic education stage.
English, mother tongue (such as Chinese), mathematics and science are the main subjects. Starting from the fourth grade, students are divided into classes based on subjects (such as Chinese and mathematics), that is, Chinese fast class or math fast class.
Mathematics and science are core subjects throughout primary and secondary school. Upon graduating from primary school, all students take graduation examinations and are admitted to secondary schools of different levels according to their test scores.
It can be said that Primary 4 Chinese tuition test scores are basically dominated by parents and students.
Pick up a Singapore elementary school mathematics textbook, and you will find that the content of the book, and even the thickness of the book, are not much different from other ordinary mathematics textbooks.
Although the mathematics material used by Singaporean teachers is not extensive, it is deep and flexible. Just looking at the sixth-grade mathematics test in Singapore, the difficulty is about two years higher than that of most American schools.
There is competition when there are exams, and pressure when there are rankings. In such a teaching environment, children’s academic performance is generally outstanding.
“After my daughter graduated from primary school in Hong Kong Singapore International School, she was able to successfully enter another well-known international school ‘Chinese International School’ (Chinese International School) for secondary school, relying on solid basic skills. Can take exams and answer questions Strong, it is still very practical.”
Nan Nan’s mother is very glad that she made the right choice for her daughter a few years ago.
As for why the middle school had to be transferred, “the pressure is still too great,” Nan Nan’s mother said, “It is said that Singaporeans are afraid of losing, and they can’t lose.
We Hong Kong people are similar. In such a competitive atmosphere, I don’t know how adults and children How long can it last?”
With its solid elite education, Hong Kong Singapore International School has increasingly become the new favorite of the “elite” class in Hong Kong. Its expensive tuition fees are beyond the reach of ordinary working families.
In 2013, the school’s kindergarten half-day class tuition fee was 78,000 Hong Kong dollars/year, the primary school’s full-day class tuition fee was 102,000 Hong Kong dollars/year, and the middle school tuition fee was 120,000 Hong Kong dollars/year.
The children of Singaporeans naturally have the priority to enter the school, accounting for about 1/3 of the total number of students, and enjoy the tuition subsidy of the Singapore government (16,100 Hong Kong dollars/year).
The remaining 2/3 places are contested by mainlanders in Hong Kong (especially overseas returnees stationed in Hong Kong from Europe and the United States) and local Hong Kong people.
“Unless your child is particularly outstanding, it is difficult to enter the threshold of this school.
Even if you are lucky enough to be a member of it, you dare not relax in the slightest. Many mothers who work full-time have to quit their jobs or stay at home part-time.” Nan Nan’s mother sighed.
Kevin is a playmate that Dongdong met in the playground downstairs, and he is also a little returnee who speaks Mandarin.
He studied Primary 4 Chinese tuition at the Canadian International School, without any exams and pressure, so he always had a lot of time wandering around in the playground.
As time passed, he had a group of loyal friends around him.
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