Yes, yes, we know about the 6:00am queues, the tents set up outside kindergartens, the hundreds of applications filed by pregnant mothers for single-digit spaces. The headlines screaming “kindergarten chaos” and the grim news on TV showing angry parents on the street, holding signs of protest, blaming mainlanders for their children for “having no schools to go to.”
But there isn’t a shortage of kindergarten places. In fact, if you look at the numbers, there are more than enough places to go around, especially considering that the entire industry is privatised and that kindergarten education is not mandatory in Hong Kong (which means there will always be some parents who opt out).
What it is, is a shortage of places in kindergartens that parents perceive as “brand name.” Fuelled by media hype and parent panic at the sight of long queues at popular kindergartens, we naturally come to the conclusion that there’s a dearth of preschool places.
Queuing up for elite schools is nothing new in Hong Kong; in fact, the Hong Kong mentality believes that “if lots of people are lining up for it, it must be good, right?”
Consider some of these choice quotes from the SCMP: “Every time when I heard someone talking about a kindergarten opening for applications, I would rush there and queue up immediately…I know it’s silly, but I’m afraid,” says an interviewee in one article, and “Everyone is queuing up at every kindergarten … so we followed suit,” says another.
Whether it’s a demographic like the North district scrambling for places at popular kindergartens, or the more affluent class snapping up places at elite international schools, the mentality is the same — it’s all about reputation and brand. Of course, as parents, you don’t want to take a risk on a lesser-known, newer, or smaller school. All parents want the best schools for their children, or at least a school they heard of. But this doesn’t excuse the lazy parents who are not doing their proper research into school options. As parents, rather than consider the brand or reputation, perhaps you should ask much more important questions, like — do I like the curriculum of this school? Does the teaching style of the school fit my child’s personality? Do I agree with the philosophy of this school? Is this an environment I’d like my kid to be in? If all parents do their proper research and remain flexible, even if their first-choice school isn’t available, there will be second or third choices that are still pretty good fits.
Picking Preschools
Choosing a preschool in Hong Kong can get pretty confusing (and stressful). Not only do you have to apply one year before your child’s eligible to attend the school; you also have to prepare for preschool interviews (which, for many brand name schools, tests children on ridiculously age-inappropriate activities such as expecting a 1.5 year old to recognise alphabets, shapes, colours and sizes). You also have to consider a myriad of preschool curriculums: Waldorf or Montessori? Local or international? Bilingual or Trilingual? As if that is not enough to make you start pulling your hair out, you also have to decide which primary school your child will go to in advance since many of these preschools “feed off” into certain primary schools. (If you need some support, Ruth Benny of Topschools.hk runs an excellent Facebook group here where you can talk to other parents.)
It’s no wonder now why most parents opt to take a short cut by lining up for brand name schools. But a brand name kindergarten doesn’t always mean your child is getting the best education either. These days, brand name preschools often mean that its academically rigourous, with eight different extra-curricular activities and homework (for a three year old!) in a formal, teacher-directed environment that values ability to follow directions over self-initiative — despite current research proving that preschool age children do best in child-led, play-based environments (see research here and here). After all, preschool is the place that your child learns to love school and learning. It should not be stressful.
Although the majority of kindergartens in Hong Kong follow a traditional, teacher-directed curriculum, there are a small number of preschools running alternative curriculums that will be much less competitive to get into, should you want to consider it.
Montessori, the most well-known of them all, lets children engage in activities of their choice in a carefully-structured environment among mixed-aged children and stresses real-life lessons (e.g. putting away toys and cleaning after themselves). Waldorf is a nurturing, play-centered approach with distinctive nature elements—outdoor play, organic things, and nature projects. The Reggio-Emilla approach views children as able to construct their own learning, with scaffolding by adults, and employs physical environment as the “third teacher.”
Another educational philosophy, RIE, is emerging in Hong Kong, which encourages educators to “observe more, do less” and let children learn to problem-solve and gain self-confidence on their own. Since a common theme among all these approaches emphasises self-directed learning and following the natural development of children, many preschools combine two or more of these approaches to create their own child-centered curriculum.
Since most of the alternative preschools on the Hong Kong Island side are pretty well-known, we will not dwell on it here. But we want to bring your attention to a new alternative preschool that has opened on the New Territories side, in Tai Po, a district with a perceived lack of kindergartens, and likely the only preschool running an non-traditional curriculum in that area. Mulberry Tree offers a combined Reggio/Montessori/RIE-inspired approach and was started by several educators who hope to reform the way we think about early years education in Hong Kong by restoring children’s natural curiosity and love for learning instead of stifling them. Set in a beautiful environment, the school has nurtured a budding community of passionate parents who share the vision.
No matter what parents end up choosing for their children, there is one thing that they shouldn’t forget: in the end, parenting matters much more than the most expensive school money can buy.
FIND IT
This list is by no means an exhaustive list of preschools running alternative curriculums in Hong Kong, but it should get you started with some ideas. Although a school may claim to have one approach another, the curriculum is usually “inspired” by a certain approach rather than following it in its entirety.
Montessori Prechools
International Montesori School
The Montessori School of Hong Kong
Waldorf Preschools
Reggio-Emilia Prechools
Combined Curriculums/Child-led Playschools
