1. Background and aim of this post 背景

 

My boy is taking a non-local primary curriculum in Hong Kong. Among all non-local curricula, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and United Kingdom (UK) national are common. As a parent, I had done some research into major curricula before I arrived at a conclusion sending my boy to an appropriate school.

我孩現讀在非本地小學課程。在非本地課程中，IB（國際文憑）和英國課程最為常見。作為家長，我在做出結論之前對這些課程進行了一些研究。

 

(** Sorry, I know nothing about Australian, American, and Canadian curricula, I cannot discuss and compare them here. ** )

(對不起，我對澳大利亞，美國AP和加拿大課程一無所知，我不能在這篇文章中討論和比較它們。）

 
In this post, I am going to briefly review and compare the major curricula in Hong Kong (with information garnered from school visits, my boy's learning, shallow research of my own, and websites) and hope that you can make a suitable choice for your children.

在這裡，我與大家分享了我所知道的（主要是那些在香港的），並希望你能為你的小孩做出合適的選擇。

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2. The IB curriculum at a glance IB課程

 
The IB curriculum consists of the PYP, MYP, and DP. The PYP is from kindergarten to Year 6 of primary school (Children have their kindergarten years between 3 and 5 years old and then are enrolled for primary school at the age of 5). The MYP has transitional years for students between 11 and 16 years old. The DP has final two years (Source).

根據我個人的經驗和國際文憑組織的網站（Source），IB課程分為PYP，MYP和DP 。從幼兒園到小學六年級（幼兒園的幼兒園年齡從3歲到5歲不等，5歲時入讀小學一年級）。中間年年度為11至16歲學生的過渡期。 DP年是16-17歲學生的最後年。

 
At kindergarten and early primary years, main teaching units encompass

• Languages;
• Unit of enquiry;
• Maths;
• PE;
• Art;
• Music;
• and Discovery

 
All those units are theme-based and interlinked. What does it mean? If the current theme is on 'loving the community, all learning activities are developed around the theme. For example, students make some recycled paper all by themselves in an art lesson and then write something on it to express their love for the community.
 
Another example is that some senior primary students conduct marketing planning, delegate group work, create products, run stalls at a bazaar, and manage the books for unit of enquiry about how things are organised in the society.

在幼兒園和小學初，教學單位是語言，探究單元，數學，體育，藝術，音樂和探索的核心。這四個基礎單元涵蓋英語，中文，數學，地理和文化，計算機，科學，音樂，體育和藝術，而所有單元都以主題為基礎並相互關聯。這是什麼意思？如果當前的主題是關於熱愛社區的話，那麼所有的活動都是圍繞這個主題展開的。舉例，你如何在Art中為需要紙張寫作的人製作一些紙張？他們需要自己製作一些再生紙。你如何關心那些需要更多幫助的人？他們需要成為慈善活動的一部分。
 
另一個例子是，一些高年級的小學生做7P的營銷組合計劃，分派工作，組織和在集市上經營他們的攤位，出售他們的產品，並管理他們的賬。
 
 

Students, starting from PYP, are encouraged to observe things around them, ask questions proactively, learn through enquiry-based activities and experiments, and present what they have learnt to peers, teachers, and parents on a regular basis. This is similar to university research where hypotheses are defined, collecting and analysing own data, discuss findings and present them in written and verbal forms.  

小年紀學生已習慣觀察周圍的事物，向老師提問，通過研究，活動式和實驗進行學習，並定期向同齡人，老師和家長展示報告他們學到的知識。這與大學研究類似，自設定義假設，收集並分析自己的數據，討論他們發現的內容並以書面和口頭形式去展示報告。

 
Much work is done at school and students in the PYP and MYP are merely asked to practise some simple writing at home. That said, READING is essential to the IB curriculum. All students need to read books frequently to complete tasks, assessments, and examinations. They start reading as early as 4 years old.

大部分工作是在學校完成的，小學生和中學項目的學生只需要在家練習一些中文寫作。這就是說，閱讀對於IB課程是必不可少的。跨小學項目，中學項目和普通教育的學生必須經常閱讀書籍，並在4歲時開始閱讀。那些年紀較大的學生需要為中學項目工作讀很多東西，並為數DP評估做準備。

 
On most occasions, there are no definite answers to assessment and examination questions, it boils down to whether students can successfully justify answers. Anything can be possible.

只要學生能找到支持來回答他們的答案並解釋他們為什麼答案是有效的，那麼問題就沒有明確的答案。任何事情都是可能的。

 
Students have no examinations until the MYP and DP; however, grading in the IB curriculum might be subjective. The DP is assessed by written coursework and a final examination. Either the coursework or examination is characterised by university-style ESSAYs. If a school teacher or an examiner does not like an argument or stance made by a student, an assessment outcome of the student maybe miserable. This maybe a hidden trap of the IB curriculum.

在DP考試之前沒有考試，但在IB課程中進行評分可能是主觀的，因為DP年份是由學校工作部分分級並且通過考試部分分級。課程作業或考試的特點是**大學形式的ESSAY ** **。如果學校的老師或考官不喜歡你的論點或立場，你的生活可能會很悲慘。這可能是IB課程的隱藏陷阱。

 
Alongside written assessments, the MYP and DP require students to undertake action-based assessments. For example, giving back to the community by doing community-based voluntary projects.

除書面評估外，DP年度要求學生通過組織和開展基於社區的項目回饋社區。 DP年度還要求學生參加6個主要科目。

 
English is the first language for all teaching, learning, and assessments. While students may take Chinese, Spanish, or German as a second language for a bilingual DP diploma. If students are predicted to fail the diploma, they may be advised by school to take the DP certificate, which may be easier for them.

英語是第一教學語言於學習和評估。學生可以用中文，西班牙文或德文作為雙語DP文憑或第二語言。如果學生被認為不能勝任，他們可能只可考建及拿DP證書。

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3. The UK national curriculum at a glance 英國國家課程

 

The UK national curriculum has four key stages from Kindergarten to, GCSE, and GCE A-level ([Source](https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum)). The curriculum has core and selective subjects at last two stages.

英國國家課程從幼兒園到GCSE和GCE A-level有四個關鍵階段課程（Source)。課程在後期階段可選核心和選擇性科目。

 
Students start the 1st year of primary school at 5 years old and finish the 7th year of secondary school at 17 years old. Learning units are

• English;
• Maths;
• Geography;
• Computing;
• Science;
• Music;
• PE;
• Art;
• and a foreign language as a selective subject

學生在5歲時開始小學一年級，17歲時完成中學七年級。他們學習英語，數學，地理，計算機，科學，音樂，體育和藝術。他們也可以選擇一門外語。

 
As far as homework, assessments, and examinations are concerned, students have them regularily across the key stages. Homework and assessments are partially structured while examinations are mostly structured with 'model or sample' answers. Students usually take about 4 main subjects for the final GCSE and A-level examinations. The final GCSE and A-level examinations are one-off now rather than in small chunks as before (Source). Academic fate of students hinges on how well they do in those final examinations.

就作業，評估和考試而言，學生在整個關鍵階段都有定期的作業，考試和考試。最終的GCSE和A-level考試現在是一次性的，而不是像以前一樣的小塊（Source)。學生通常會參加最後的GCSE和A-level考試，共有4門主要科目。學生的命運現在取決於他們在期末考試中的表現。

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4. The HK curriculum at a glance 香港課程

 

The HK curriculum has two language steams (English and Chinese) with the Chinese section being the mainstream ([Source](http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-parents/sch-info/about-sch-info/index.html)).

香港的課程設有兩種語文流利（英文和中文），中文部分為主流（[Source](http://www.edb.gov.hk/zh/student-parents/sch-info/about-sch-info/ index.html的))。

 
The HK curriculum is dominated by structured and directed learning materials taught to students who start primary 1 at 6 years old and move onto the most senior year at 17 years old.

學生在6歲時開始小學一年級，在17歲時為最高年級。

 
Learning units are

• English;
• Maths;
• Geography;
• Computing;
• Science;
• Music;
• PE;
• Art;
• Applied business;
• and a foreign language as a selective subject

 
The HK curriculum is free for local residents with a strong focus on structured and directed coursework, tests, and examinations. Going with 'model or sample answers' can be common for students to move along the curriculum.

香港課程是為當地居民提供免費教育服務，而重點放在功課，考試和考試上。用標準或樣本答案於課程作業，考試和考試中可能是常見的。

 
Having said the reliance on coursework, academic fate of students now hinges on how well they do in final examinations.

學生的命運現在取決於他們在期末考試中的表現。

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5. A brief comparison 簡單比較

 

5.1 Fees

Only private schools offer the IB or UK national curricula. These schools averagely charges HKD 10,000 to 20,000 a month and some schools may require a debenture purchase (HKD 200,000 up to 5,000,000) or a one-off school development fee (HKD 50,000 to 100,000). An increase in school fees is about 5-10% per year.

只有私立學校提供國際文憑或英國國家課程。這些學校平均每月收取1萬至2萬港元的費用，部分學校可能需要購買債券（20萬至500萬港元）或一次性學校建設費（5萬至10萬港元）。學費每年上漲約5-10％。

 
The local curriculum is free-of-charge and given to students at government-aided schools while some local private schools also provide the curriculum at about HKD 2,000 each month.

課程是免費提供給政府資助學校的學生，但一些私立學校也提供此課程而每月需要2,000港元左右。

 

5.2 Personality

The IB curriculum maybe ideal for outgoing, extrovert, and creative children; an array of experiments and enquiry-based activities are involved.

IB課程可能適合外向，外向，創意和活躍的孩子;涉及大量的實驗和探究教學活動。

 
The local curriculum maybe ideal for children suitable for a relatively passive learning environment where high doses of structured and directed homework, tests, and examinations can be the way of life.

課程可能適合兒童習慣於被動的學習環境，其中密集式做家庭作業，測驗和考試可以是常見。

 
The UK curriculum seems to be in the middle of the IB and local curricula with a mix of experiments, enquiry-based activities, homework, tests, and examinations.

英國的課程似乎處於IB和當地課程的中間。實驗，探究活動，家庭作業，考試和考試的混合體。

 

5.3 Languages at school

English is the main language in the IB and UK curricula. Cantonese/English is the main language in the local curriculum, depending on the language stream chosen by a school.

英語是IB和英國課程的主要語言。粵語/英語是當地課程的主要語言，取決於學校選擇的語言流。

 

5.4 Homework

The IB curriculum may have less homework whereas the local curriculum is full of homework. The UK curriculum may stand in the middle.

IB課程可能沒有太多的功課。本地課程太多功課。英國的課程可能站在中間。

 

5.5 Assessments and examinations

The IB curriculum has a wider spectrum of school-based and examination assessments. These assessments might be subjective when grading is contingent on the teacher or examiner. Assessments in the UK and local curricula might be relatively objective compared with those of the IB curriculum. It is because answers tend to be structured.

IB課程有更廣泛的校本和考試評估。當評分取決於教師或考官時，這些評估可能是主觀的。與IB課程相比，英國的評估和本地課程可能是客觀的。答案往往是確定的。

 

5.6 Higher education opportunities

Students taking the IB and UK curricula may tend to apply for US/UK higher education institutions when local places for these students are limited.

參加IB和英國課程的學生可能傾向於申請美國/英國高等教育機構;因為參加IB和英國課程的學生在本地升大學名額有限。

 
Students taking the local curriculum tend to pursue further education locally; more local places are reserved for them.

參加本地課程的學生往往會在本地升學;因為有更多的學位是為他們保留的。

 

5.7 Difficulty

The UK and local curricula might be easier; examinations might be predictable and answers tend to be structured. The IB curriculum might be harder; there are hardly 'model or sample answers' to memorise.

英國和本地課程可能更容易;考試內容可以是可預測的，答案往往可以是背的。國際文憑課程可能會更困難;幾乎沒有任何'模型或樣本答案'可背。

 

5.8 Video narratives by students in two systems on curricula differences

This 40-min youtube documentary, directed by students in Hong Kong, unlocks myths about the IB and HK curricula. It is worth watching.

這部由學生執導的40分鐘YouTube紀錄片解釋學制的分別。值得一看。

Credits: Chinese International School and SALEM-Immanuel Lutheran College
Source

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6. Conclusion 結論

 
No curriculum is perfect or better than one another. Choose one that suits your children, family, you, and most importantly your budget.

沒有課程是完美的。沒有課程比另一個更好。選擇一個適合你的孩子，家庭和你的預算。

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Photos and content are original.

Video is from Youtube, credits: Chinese International School and SALEM-Immanuel Lutheran College