Moving to Calgary... about education for kids

[AMG_G]

3 friends of mine that immigrated here prior to 1997 but left after university are moving back here. They all got their degrees and went back to Hong Kong to work and start families. Why this mass exodus lately? Is it because of the tightening of Canadian immigration rules? or is it the mainland issue in Hong Kong?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Allos

Kids are attending typical Hong Kong style schools -- lots of homeworks/ lots of tests. They speak fluent english. Academically, we do not think there will be any problems for them to adapt.

Reason that we asked those questions was because even as adults we are very nervous/ anxious about moving to a new environment for them. It will be drastic change for the kids. We are hoping to help them to ease into a new environment as smoothly as possible. As parents, we do what we can do The rest will be up to them.

I used to go to high school at Three Hills. It was a very good experience. Teachers and classmates were super nice. It was 20 years ago but I always cherished the time I spent there. I would certainly hope that my kids will think of their high school days with a big smile when they grow up!

After reading your replies I am confident that we have made a right decision to move to Calgary. Thanks CP!

Your kids will LOVE you for moving to Canada to go to schooling. They won't know what to do with their free time! haha.

Hk school systems are totally broken. So much unnecessary homework and the bribing of teachers to get your kids ahead. My niece is totally screwed right now because my sister in law didn't buy the teacher a good enough XMAS present last year..... terrible!

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by AMG_G

3 friends of mine that immigrated here prior to 1997 but left after university are moving back here. They all got their degrees and went back to Hong Kong to work and start families. Why this mass exodus lately? Is it because of the tightening of Canadian immigration rules? or is it the mainland issue in Hong Kong?

So did they immigrate to Canada, got themselves a university degree in Canada, moved back to HK after receiving their Canadian degree, and now are moving back to Canada?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by AMG_G

3 friends of mine that immigrated here prior to 1997 but left after university are moving back here. They all got their degrees and went back to Hong Kong to work and start families. Why this mass exodus lately? Is it because of the tightening of Canadian immigration rules? or is it the mainland issue in Hong Kong?

My other sister in law just moved back last year too. Canada is just a way better environment to have families in. The last time i was back there my nieces had so much medication, because they were sick so often they had an entire kitchen cubbard for their medication. nasty.

Also due to the mainlanders moving to HK it's driving the housing prices to even more ridiculous levels.

[Rerun]

One of the elite private schools in the Calgary area is Strathcona Tweedsmuir.

Its pricey though.

http://www.sts.ab.ca/

Tuition for the 2012-2013 school year (full payment)
Grades 1-3: $15,760.00
Grades 4-6: $17,200.00
Grades 7-9: $18,090.00
Grades 10-12: $18,640.00

[Coach]

I come from the public system (like most) but also know many people that went through botht the private system and the catholic system. Not a lick of difference as to which schools we could get into. If your grades are good theyre good, bottom line. People are right, we really do have a pretty great school system here.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Rerun

One of the elite private schools in the Calgary area is Strathcona Tweedsmuir.

Its pricey though.

http://www.sts.ab.ca/

I wish I could come up with a good system like that to sucker rich people out of their money

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I wish I could come up with a good system like that to sucker rich people out of their money

Well the private schools are ranked higher than any public school in those Grade6,9 tests, so you would have to hire some half decent teachers.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Well the private schools are ranked higher than any public school in those Grade6,9 tests, so you would have to hire some half decent teachers.

Or just cheat:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...694/story.html

When department staff arrived at ISE unannounced several days before the math exam last year, they discovered the test materials had been removed from their protective shrink wrap, a contravention of strict rules aimed at ensuring school staff don’t give students access to exams in advance.
When they returned to watch the test being administered, they found more irregularities. Students had cellphones and bags near their desks and were carrying calculators that had not been cleared of data and math formulas.

The issues were corrected. After the tests were written and scored this time, only one of the 11 students had managed to pass the exam. The discrepancy between the school and exam grades was 32.4 percentage points, exceptionally high when compared with most other Alberta schools but in keeping with the past performance of ISE students.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Well the private schools are ranked higher than any public school in those Grade6,9 tests, so you would have to hire some half decent teachers.

$17,000 for slightly higher test marks which count for absolutely nothing as soon as you hit University. Whoever started this school must laugh themselves to sleep every night.

[Coach]

For reference. My highschool girlfriend was an exceptional student and transfered from Weber Academy (private school) to Springbank (which even though it is situated in a wealthy area is not a wealthy school, believe me) in Gr 12 and accept for a couple university prep-courses that may have put her a bit ahead as far as study skills and general knowledge goes, being at Weber didn't advance her University career whatsoever. And she's the first to tell you that.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by MattyC

For reference. My highschool girlfriend was an exceptional student and transfered from Weber Academy (private school) to Springbank (which even though it is situated in a wealthy area is not a wealthy school, believe me) in Gr 12 and accept for a couple university prep-courses that may have put her a bit ahead as far as study skills and general knowledge goes, being at Weber didn't advance her University career whatsoever. And she's the first to tell you that.

Smart and motivated students generally do well whatever school system they are enrolled in. Its the others that private schools tend to help the most.

ie. better teachers, lower student-teacher ratios, enforced study periods, structure, fewer classroom distractions (ie. unruly students), etc.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Well the private schools are ranked higher than any public school in those Grade6,9 tests, so you would have to hire some half decent teachers.

I think that's more due to which students they have (primarily from educated, well-off families with English as a first language, and in many cases with minimum academic performance required) than the quality of the teachers.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by MattyC

For reference. My highschool girlfriend was an exceptional student and transfered from Weber Academy (private school) to Springbank (which even though it is situated in a wealthy area is not a wealthy school, believe me) in Gr 12 and accept for a couple university prep-courses that may have put her a bit ahead as far as study skills and general knowledge goes, being at Weber didn't advance her University career whatsoever. And she's the first to tell you that.

I'm copying and pasting this to my wife RIGHT NOW! hehe No way do i want to pay $8-$10k/year for private school for my kids. Especially in Calgary.

[The Yen Man]

I honestly don't think what grade school you are from makes much of a difference going into university. The curriculum is standardized by the CBE, so everyone learns the same things.

As I've learned (the hard way), high school means zilch. I thought I was a rock star in grade school only to get hit with cold reality once university started. Kids that were average in high school all of a sudden matured, started studying, and did well in university. A lot of kids (not all) that were bookworms in high school and studied throughout grade school all of a sudden struggled since they didn't have much of an advantage anymore now that everyone is studying.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I'm copying and pasting this to my wife RIGHT NOW! hehe No way do i want to pay $8-$10k/year for private school for my kids. Especially in Calgary.

You're married!!??

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

You're married!!??

And with kids?!

. . .

"mind bottling"
"hehe"

[AMG_G]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I'm copying and pasting this to my wife RIGHT NOW! hehe No way do i want to pay $8-$10k/year for private school for my kids. Especially in Calgary.

Putting that money towards a better university would be a better move. Better universities give you better connections and we all know this world runs on who you know.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Your kids will LOVE you for moving to Canada to go to schooling. They won't know what to do with their free time! haha.

This is the very thing I went through. I came here expecting A LOT of homework, which was not to be the case, though I think that may be the reason why I procrastinate so much now. Had the amount of homework matched the amount of homework from HK, I might actually be inclined to finish things early.

Oh, and your kids will have a really easy time in math class. For the first 3 - 4 years, I aced every math test ever given because I'd learned in grade 3 what the schools were teaching in grade 7.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Allos

Kids are attending typical Hong Kong style schools -- lots of homeworks/ lots of tests. They speak fluent english. Academically, we do not think there will be any problems for them to adapt.

Reason that we asked those questions was because even as adults we are very nervous/ anxious about moving to a new environment for them. It will be drastic change for the kids. We are hoping to help them to ease into a new environment as smoothly as possible. As parents, we do what we can do The rest will be up to them.

I used to go to high school at Three Hills. It was a very good experience. Teachers and classmates were super nice. It was 20 years ago but I always cherished the time I spent there. I would certainly hope that my kids will think of their high school days with a big smile when they grow up!

After reading your replies I am confident that we have made a right decision to move to Calgary. Thanks CP!

While you may be concerned about easing them in the truth is that one of the biggest risks they face will be moving from an intensive and competitive study environment to one that is much freer and puts far fewer demands on their time. The result is likely to be the student starting to take on a much slacker attitude towards their own studies and feeling a lack of structure in their life. I have seen this happen again and again, sometimes resulting in simply reduced academic performance and attitude towards learning and education, sometimes in adopting more destructive behaviour or simply filling their time with online games. If they are entered in a public school I would still advise finding a good assortment of after school activities for them to do which will fill their evenings and free time. These activities can be things that they enjoy and allow them to develop as more rounded people as well as providing continuity of the structure they're used to.