ITS Educational News

 March 2009

In Hong Kong, some International Schools have a few places for students with learning disabilities. If you are moving to Hong Kong with a child with a learning disability you may need to check what schools will be able to give your child the support he/she needs.

 If your child has special needs, a pediatrician should be able to give you information on the best schools and programs available to your child and for speech therapy you can talk to the school’s counselor or principal.

The good news for parents is that a new learning support centre for students with special educational needs is to be set up at the English School Foundation’s West Island School. The Centre will operate from September 2009 for 24 students in three classrooms with additional support areas and resources.

Currently, there are 77 learning support places across the ESF’s primary schools and 28 in the secondary sector. Another 60 places for students with moderate to severe needs are offered at the Jockey Club Sarah Roe School.

Children With Special Needs: What Parents Need To Know

 As a parent, you may request an evaluation of your child to determine his or her needs for special education. The evaluation may include psychological and educational testing, a speech and language evaluation, occupational therapy assessment and a behavioral analysis. Remember to take the following steps:

Parents should always advocate for their child and must be proactive and take all necessary steps to make sure their child receives appropriate services for their learning disability.

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March, 2009

Top international schools in Hong Kong have seen a sharp increase in the number of applications for admissions in September 2009 and long waiting lists still remain. However, there has been a drop in applications at Hong Kong International School; the intake has decreased from 850 last year to 835 this year.

 The Canadian International School in Aberdeen has had a 30 per cent rise in applications across the board, with the number of students applying for pre-reception to Primary Two classes up by 35 per cent to 40 per cent.

 At German Swiss School, on the Peak, there has been a 15 per cent increase in applications for the coming year with 929 received so far this year compared with 806 last year.

 The Discovery Bay International School is currently experiencing the highest waitlists, with a 13 per cent increase from nursery to Primary Four since last year.  And the English School Foundation is experiencing a 10 per cent increase in applications from entry to Year One.

Despite the economic climate at the moment, most top International Schools are remaining stable in regards to their student numbers and there seems to be no change in waiting lists.  However, it is hard to say, if all these applications are relocating families, so thus it is still too early to say whether these numbers will remain and if families offer the spaces given to them.

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Geography literally means “earth description” but in the modern sense it is so much more and we can more properly think of it as “earth study”. Thus everything in our world comes under its remit. Humanity lives geographically. Our diverse Earth is an awe-inspiring and ever-changing home. Studying geography allows and encourages us to participate more fully in the excitement and challenges presented by this dynamic world. By drawing on personal experience and linking it to the collective experience of humanity down the ages, Geography brings about a better and more thorough understanding of the places we live in and why they matter. By considering these places in the context of the wider world we can hold out great hope that not only can we lead better lives as individuals and communities of the present, but that we can set the foundations for the betterment of generations to come. 

 Geography synthesizes factual information and established theory from across the natural, social, cultural, economic and political spheres to identify and attempt to illuminate key issues for the present and the future. It does so at a variety of spatial and temporal scales – local to global, present to prehistoric – requiring us to acknowledge and appreciate the diversity of landscapes and peoples. It is therefore a vital subject of study for 21^st century students and indeed all citizens alike as it enables us to deal with questions of what it means to live sustainable lives in an interdependent world and within the context of an understanding of stewardship.  

 Geography facilitates the investigation of the complexities of places and spaces and demands that we think critically and creatively about these intricacies and the different views and feelings that their indigenous peoples hold relating to them. Geography is studied through enquiry, which requires the formulation of effective questions, and through the practical collection of data in fieldwork studies which give legitimacy to the ideas that it postulates. In doing so, students develop significant elements of the skills framework. While there is a strong emphasis on the use of maps and visual images as well as new technologies including Geographical Information Systems, geographers are exposed to a variety of other subjects and the skills therein. Geography is the true umbrella discipline, drawing together humanity’s knowledge to a framework which allows its most valuable use. Geographers are amongst the most broadly trained thinkers our society has to offer and can contribute to an incredibly diverse number of tasks.  

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