Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+

 Chinese School v. International School - pros/cons, Tell me your personal experiences

views
     
faridr
post Aug 20 2017, 05:40 PM

Getting Started
**
Junior Member
206 posts

Joined: May 2011
From: here
Coming from government school and international school, i dont see much different. But that highly depending on the location of the government school and class you're kid in.

I was in international school for 4 years till my dad had issue with his business, and back to government school. Since my government school is located at mid - upper income range location, thrown into top class, and my classmate are 80% chinese, language of communication has always been english. Not perfect for writing, but good enough for daily communication.

And the biggest issue with international school, the spoiled brat culture, and the influence it may have on your kid. I have personally experienced it, and thankfully manage to snap out, but due to that, i graduated degree 3 years late.

This post has been edited by faridr: Aug 20 2017, 05:43 PM
smiley4u2c
post May 3 2018, 12:27 PM

New Member
*
Newbie
13 posts

Joined: Jul 2011


what about sending your kids to a national school all the way from primary up to secondary, and at the same time giving your kid extra Chinese classes after school? assuming that the national school is a fairly good schools as far as producing results are concern. and the extra Chinese classes is merely to give the additional language to the kid..
has any parents done that, or have any opinions in this method? appreciate the advise and comments...
TheAmerican
post May 26 2018, 08:26 AM

New Member
*
Newbie
2 posts

Joined: Dec 2017


There is a third choice. Mandarin Immersion school.

A regular western syllabus (similar to International schools) is taught. The only difference is that everything is taught in Mandarin.

You get the same holistic, child development mentality but in Chinese. The problem with Chinese schools is the education culture - it is stuck in the 19th century.

Unfortunately, because of the draconian education laws language immersion hasn't come to Malaysia yet. But under the new government I am sure it will.

The model starts out 100% in Mandarin and adds in English in the 3rd grade onwards. By high school many core subjects are in English with classes studying Chinese as a language specifically.

I can easily tell Malaysians that have gone through Chinese schools as they are not that functional in the work place. They can't - or refuse - to think out of the box. They can follow specific instructions only and need new instructions if the task deviates even slightly.

The 55+ year old Chinese and Malays I work with are super sharp and can work anywhere in the world. But they all went to school before the education "reform". But many young Malaysians just don't cut it and they would sink if sent abroad to work.




yyuna
post Jul 17 2018, 04:22 PM

New Member
*
Newbie
9 posts

Joined: Jul 2018
QUOTE(kwackers @ Jun 21 2016, 02:54 PM)
Not sure if this is the best sub-forum to post it, but "Pregnancy & Parenting" seems geared more towards pre-school and day-care while "Education Essentials" is more college/university-oriented.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. My wife and I plan to send our kids to a Chinese primary school and then later on to a local International secondary school.

2. She can speak Mandarin, but we speak only English at home; neither of us will be able to help our kids with any Chinese homework.

3. My parents are insistent that the kids attend International primary and secondary schools. *

4. I went to an International School, and from personal experience, I believe my kids would get a stronger educational foundation from attending a Chinese primary school. **

5. I hope to hear either first-hand perspectives from students/former students or from parents; arguments for/against Chinese schools and International schools.  Is it difficult for a Chinese primary student to adapt to an International secondary school?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* My parents believe that by transitioning from a Chinese primary school to an International secondary school, my kids will be at a disadvantage, they will have to work to catch up to their peers, will experience a lack of confidence from having learned Science and Maths in Chinese; in their words, they'll be "ruined" by Chinese school. 

** The debate is not about cost, but about the quality of education and other factors.  Even if they could attend an International school for free, I would want send my kids to a Chinese school.  I'll accept the negative aspects for which Chinese schools are criticised if it means my kids will learn to be disciplined and taught to work hard and be self-sufficient.
*
Mind to share at the end which school are you sending your kids to?





smwah
post Jul 17 2018, 10:29 PM

Glad to be Here
Group Icon
Elite
1,701 posts

Joined: Jan 2003
From: Setia Alam


International school maybe many spoilt kids. Govt school is learn to communicate with diff roots and background. Thus you may learn how to respect each. Govt school students is much more hardworking from what I see. There have no choice to to be excel in academics those poor family.
TSkwackers
post Jul 24 2018, 02:07 PM

Casual
***
Junior Member
349 posts

Joined: Jan 2003
From: Kuala Lumpur


The current plan is to send the kids to Chinese Primary School, then a local school with an International syllabus for Secondary School.

Trying to lessen the culture shock by sending them for Mandarin tuition (5 days a week) and a pre-school that has a good reputation for preparing kids for Chinese school.




QUOTE(yyuna @ Jul 17 2018, 04:22 PM)
Mind to share at the end which school are you sending your kids to?
*
eddydo
post Jul 25 2018, 05:54 AM

vroom vrooom~
******
Senior Member
1,260 posts

Joined: Feb 2011


realised I commented before 2 years ago.

removed cause its basically the same info.



This post has been edited by eddydo: Jul 25 2018, 06:15 AM
scorptim
post Jul 25 2018, 12:42 PM

On my way
****
Senior Member
698 posts

Joined: Nov 2009
QUOTE(Blofeld @ Jun 22 2016, 05:41 PM)
I observed a similar trend too at the colleges I have taught.

Chinese ed are non-communicative and those from SK or International schools are more communicative (and they write better too).
*
This is mainly because Chinese schools are too strict and trachers punish students for giving wrong answers instead of complementing them for their bravery to answer then correct their understanding and teaching them the right answer.

SK if you answer wrong, the teacher won’t punish you or at most make fun of you only so you don’t really develop a fear of answering/responding to questions. International schools encourage answers right or wrong and the teachers will take time to explain clearly why your answer was wrong and what’s the correct answer.

Totally different environment. Chinese schools still haven’t evolved from punishment based education. It’s really effective to create a robot like workforce that can carry out instructions almost seamlessly but lacking on the innovation and critical thinking side.
TBJ
post Jul 25 2018, 12:45 PM

Casual
***
Junior Member
374 posts

Joined: Sep 2014


what international school provide free education?
ExCrIpT
post Jul 25 2018, 12:51 PM

Regular
******
Senior Member
1,663 posts

Joined: Jan 2003


QUOTE(scorptim @ Jul 25 2018, 12:42 PM)
This is mainly because Chinese schools are too strict and trachers punish students for giving wrong answers instead of complementing them for their bravery to answer then correct their understanding and teaching them the right answer.

SK if you answer wrong, the teacher won’t punish you or at most make fun of you only so you don’t really develop a fear of answering/responding to questions. International schools encourage answers right or wrong and the teachers will take time to explain clearly why your answer was wrong and what’s the correct answer.

Totally different environment. Chinese schools still haven’t evolved from punishment based education. It’s really effective to create a robot like workforce that can carry out instructions almost seamlessly but lacking on the innovation and critical thinking side.
*
during my time in an international school, students are king, teachers do not dare to take action/punish students because they are afraid of the parents. Inernational school students more often than not comes from well to do families and their parents are very protective of their children hence allowing them to become spoilt brats because they are untouchable.

To me, sending them to chinese school in their early years (primary) is the way to go, later on only send them to international school
Red_rustyjelly
post Jul 25 2018, 12:52 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Junior Member
845 posts

Joined: Feb 2017


30% of my sekolah kebangsaan school mates ventured into business, most of them were successful lol.

anyway, I started from Chinese Primary, then into government school. But I had option to take on international school at that time. I left it for my uni in Overseas instead. so it brings out pretty good.

My parents were telling me the same thing as some of the forumer said, u got to get your kids ready for peer pressure in international school. if they are young they may easily swayed to think victory is more important than any other thing. meaning you might become more kiasu and cannot admit failure to small things and become very protective. It is good because we think that the kid can fight to improve. but in terms of empathy, they will lose out. they don't feel sorry for things they done wrong.

This post has been edited by Red_rustyjelly: Jul 25 2018, 12:52 PM
scorptim
post Jul 25 2018, 01:05 PM

On my way
****
Senior Member
698 posts

Joined: Nov 2009
QUOTE(ExCrIpT @ Jul 25 2018, 12:51 PM)
during my time in an international school,  students are king, teachers do not dare to take action/punish students because they are afraid of the parents. Inernational school students more often than not comes from well to do families and their parents are very protective of their children hence allowing them to become spoilt brats because they are untouchable.

To me, sending them to chinese school in their early years (primary) is the way to go, later on only send them to international school
*
Somewhat agree but it depends on the international school as well. I know some are like what you mentioned above, a lot would actually not punish but inform the parents of what their kids did but the parents themselves pamper their kids too much and don’t take action.

For me it’s important to find a school which is balanced in punishment and encouragement. Being from a chinese school myself, it took me years after school to learn to express my opinions freely as I have been conditioned for years with the mentality that “if you answer incorrectly, you’re gonna get punished”. Punishment for disciplinary issues is good but punishing a kid who is trying expressing his opinions just because his answer is not correct is bad. Heck, Chinese schools don’t even encourage alternative point of views even if it may not be wrong. Everything 100% textbook answer only.


+3kk!
post Jul 25 2018, 01:39 PM

Look at all my stars!!
*******
Senior Member
8,275 posts

Joined: May 2006
ive not been to international, but ive been to private school, government and chinese independent schools .

my experience goes like this, which school is very important and the culture behind the school is more so. But its importance is only down to the path that you want your kids to take, i summerize it in a generalist view below

1) chinese school -> chinese independent school -> taiwan/ktar/asia in general for graduate studies.

2) Private schools/ Private International Schools -> Western world universities,

3) Government School -> Western & Local Universities.

reason why i put the pathway up like that is cause well a lot of my friends from the 3 different schools i went, tend to have a life journey like that.

There are some noticeable differences between teh students and my friends from the 3 backgrounds, many of them quite obvious, chines school folk tend to be more cultured to asian values, tend to be more rigid. Private tend to be more western white values, but tend to be more expressive and experimental, and the government ones are quite malaysian, a middle of the two, not as rigid but not as experimental.

still tho, at the end of the day no matter what school the kid goes, its the uni that makes or breaks the value. going to private schools for good education and end up in some tier 2 /3 uni and it wont make anything worth its while.

5 Pages « < 3 4 5Top
 

Change to:
| Lo-Fi Version
0.0131sec    0.68    5 queries    GZIP Disabled
Time is now: 19th March 2024 - 12:22 PM