Mrs.Choi Fung Lai Mei, Principal of St Nicholas English Kindergarten stressing to parents not to give their children pressure about interviews, but instead aim for a relaxed preparation that will allow the children to enjoy their learning.

Parents today are very concerned about the future of their children and have high hopes to enroll them into the kindergarten of their choice. There is now intense competition for entry into top ranked direct subsidy school (DSS), non-profit voucher schemes operated kindergarten and private kindergartens. Every year in November, some popular kindergartens often deal with a queue of more a thousand people waiting to collect an application form. There are parents get nervous about the performance of their children at these interviews, and therefore send them to interview schools to practice interviewing techniques day and night. We interviewed a number of kindergarten principals in the hope of bringing some reliable information and advice to the parents.
 

1) What preparations should parents make before applying for admission into a kindergarten?

The most important thing for parents to understand first is the educational philosophy, teaching curriculum, the quality of the staff, etc. Due to the differences in the educational model and school system (e.g. English based, activity based or traditional methods), parents should consider whether the school is suitable for the personality and ability of their child. They should also consider the academic transition required, such as choosing a combined primary and secondary education institution to avoid problems with transferring to another school in the future. So my suggestion is for parents to visit the school, observe the environment and attend the Open days before applying for admission to find the most appropriate school for their children.
 

2) Are there any techniques to let your children perform at their best during the interview?

Some children may behave out of character during the interview, such as experiencing stage fright, crying, becoming disruptive, etc, so parents should pay attention to pacify the children's emotions.

Firstly, parents should not apply at too many schools for the child, as some parents unreasonably apply for 8 to 10 kindergarten. However, the child may become bored with regular attendance at interviews, so selecting 3-5 schools should be sufficient.

Prior to the interview, parents should take their children to the kindergarten to familiarize them with the school environment. They can also bring their children’s favorite toys such as plush dolls and model cars to increase their sense of security, and reduce the chance of developing stage fright.

In addition, parents should also ensure that their children have had adequate sleep, as many children have the habit of napping after lunchtime. If the interview is taking place in the afternoon, parents should make adjustments for the child in advance.
 

3) How is the interview conducted at your school ?

At our school, we observe the attentiveness of children at the interview and basic courtesy such as greeting people with “good morning”. We will also use a question and answer format to ask the children’s name, age and other basic information, and use building blocks to examine their hand-eye coordination. We also use images to initiate responses about their daily life, and in the process gain insight into their personality, response, communication skills and manners. An important thing to note is that parents should not answer on behalf of their children or interject frequently at the interview as it will result in points deducted for their child.

On the other hand, the kindergarten places emphasis on the parents’ understanding about the school, so we will also ask parents questions on their views about education and expectations of the school. The manner in which the parents converse with us, along with their style and attitudes towards parenting, also contribute significantly to the admission scores.
 

4) Do you think parents should practice at home with their children? Is there a need to enroll their children in the so-called kindergarten interview preparation classes?

I feel that these children are still very young, so it is not advisable for parents to push them too hard. Rather than drilling them with interview questions at home, parents are better off taking time out to play with them, tell them stories and develop their children’s manners and response through in their daily life. Unless the child has a very introverted or passive personality, there is no need to apply for these anecdotal kindergarten preparation classes. However, playgroups are helpful for small children because of the increased contact with other children. This will assist them in learning about sharing, etiquette and communication, which are useful for them at the admission interviews.
 

5) Are there any secrets to success?

The fact is, schools value the sincerity of parents above all, and if parents write to the schools and talk about their experience when visiting the school, it is something that the school will definitely make reference of. In contrast, the anecdotally popular practice of passing on reference letters and portfolios (curriculum vitae) are of little use because the young age of the children gives them very little things to write about.

 

Interviewee : Mrs.Choi Fung Lai Mei, Principal of St Nicholas English Kindergarten.