The choice of international vs local school for your child is very difficult.   It is important to know different types of schools offer different learning environment and system, and it also depends on the personality and family background of the child.

The following considerations will help parents to make better decision.

Teaching and Learning

A good example of the difference in learning approaches can be seen in how schools approach reading. In many local schools, readers are 'taught' and children are drilled in vocabulary from the books through dictation tests and  they need to memorize the answers.  International schools tend to put more emphasis on inquiry-based learning. Student will be learning through questioning and doing rather than being 'taught'. Although this type of learning is being practiced in some local schools, the majority rely heavily on textbooks for all subjects.

In international schools, children progress with reading at their own pace and are not tested on vocabulary. Instead, they are encouraged to write book reviews which stimulate their thinking. 

Approach
The teaching style at local schools can be very different to international schools, or what children might be used to if they’ve previously been schooled elsewhere. Some international schools follow the internationally recognised curriculum, such as IGCSE or PYP. The curriculum at a lot of international schools is guided by the International Baccalaureate (IB),  which has a natural tendency towards promoting inquiry-based learning, independence, creativity and a global outlook due to the transference of the curriculum internationally. The approach at local schools is not as individualised and class sizes tend to have a larger student to teacher ratio. However, they do have a reputation for being very robust when it comes to literacy and numeracy. In recent years, the pedagogy has evolved to include a greater focus on values-based and inquiry-based learning. 

Bilingualism
Both local and international schools in  Hong Kong feature languages in English as part of their syllabus and encourage bilingualism (English and Mandarin).  The deep immersion that this offers can deliver amazing results if you want your child to be truly bilingual. International schools, by and large, offer Mandarin as another language. The way these are taught varies from school to school and Chinese in particular can be taught as a separate subject.   International schools are well-versed and can offer particular support to those children, helping them to assimilate and keep their identity.

Teachers tend to focus on grammar when marking and it is usual to see a lot of red pen on written work. Some children become so afraid of making mistakes that it affects their creativity.  Unlike in local school-based exams (for which grammar often makes up 60% of the marks), students are not tested directly on grammar in the HKDSE exam.  They need to demonstrate an overall understanding and be able to apply it in practice.

Competition
It is obvious to observe that local schools can be fiercely competitive. Parents seek tutoring for their children in multiple subjects from a young age so that they might get into the right stream in order to gain entry to the secondary school they want to get admitted. You can attend a local school without committing to this results-driven approach, but it is worth considering your long-term plan for schooling and where secondary school, and even university, might take place.  

A lot of international schools focus on individualised learning, with personal development plans designed to stretch each student to the best of their abilities and encourage them to direct their own learning to a certain extent. This freedom to ‘think outside the box’ can help develop strong leadership qualities and problem-solving abilities that are highly valuable, particularly in today's competitive working environment.

Finance

School fees for international schools tend to be significantly higher than local schools.

International schools is more likely to have more overseas camps and trips which can add a major financial burden. Many parents are not aware that exams such as the British IGSCEs incur a cost, usually paid by parents.

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