February 2014
39
the international system to provide
that variety. It’s in all of our interests
to ensure that Hong Kong is seen as a
place that you can move to, be part of
and [where] your children will get the
highest possible education.
The vision is to grow from where
we are, in terms of the quality of the
learning and the education that we
provide. I want ESF to be seen as
one of the leaders in education, to be
globally renowned for providing the
very best for our children.
T:
What’s different from the
international system to what you
envision for ESF? Is it a philosophy, a
specific programme?
B:
The international system schools
select children to come into schools,
and ESF, whilst we have to obviously
select from a large number – we
have about ten children per space
on a waiting list, wanting to get into
ESF schools – we’re not selective
in terms of ability. So I think what
ESF can provide is the support that’s
required to work with children of
all abilities, where our philosophy
is one of inclusion, where we see
the importance of the integrity of
childhood – that children should be
nurtured and that every child should
have the best, most positive learning
experience.
If English medium education is
only going to be available to the
highest attainers, then what kind of
society are we going to end up with in
Hong Kong? Our whole philosophy
and our set-up – the pedagogy and the
curriculum that we offer through the
IB – is one that can be inclusive. Our
success comes in ensuring that every
child has positive outcomes, but that
they’re also nurtured, growing in the
skills and talents that they have – a
strong focus on creativity, a strong
focus on wider achievements, but not
at the cost of academic excellence.
T:
ESF provides more services for
students with special needs than most,
if not all, English medium schools in
Asia. Will that continue and grow?
B:
Absolutely. We have to work
in partnership with the EDB (the
Education Bureau). I think ESF is part
of the solution for the future of Hong
Kong. The education system is looking
to change. I know that there have
been changes within the local system;
I understand that there are some
concerns – it’s not with
what
they’re
learning, it’s
how
they’re learning. I
think that ESF could be part of that
solution of working with local schools,
sharing different approaches, so that
we can strengthen the local system as
well as strengthen our own system.
We can learn from the local system –
there are things that are happening
in local schools that we should be
looking at and considering, ‘Is that
something we could use?’ or, ‘Is that
an approach that we can consider?’ So
I think working in partnership across
the three different pillars is going
to strengthen education for all the
children in Hong Kong.
Which brings us to children with
additional support needs, because if
we just write children off, what cost
will that be to society in the future?
