University not only means tertiary education. Preschool education is
provided in some universities as well.
Hong Kong Baptist University will open its affiliated kindergarten next fall.
A university running a kindergarten is not a new idea. This can be easily found in many western and some Southeast Asia countries like Taiwan and China.
According to Mrs. Tammy C. F. Lai, the head and course leader of Teacher Education of the School of Continuing Education Hong Kong Baptist University, an affiliated kindergarten can provide a place and chances for the university to apply its theories and to conduct its research.
The kindergarten, recruiting 200 students a year, will be located inside the campus of Hong Kong Baptist University.
It will occupy the third and the fourth floor of the new building of the School of Continuing Education.
It seems that this kindergarten will be different from ordinary kindergartens.
Beside Chinese culture, Western culture will also be introduced.
In order to encourage children's creativity, it will emphasize art education like music, drama and handicrafts.
It will also explore children's interests in oral English as well as Cantonese and Mandarin.
Moreover, the kindergarten will have a "parental school" which offers courses to the parents to share their experience and skills on how to educate their children.
Students studying Early Childhood Education in Baptist University will serve as teaching assistants in classes.
It is worried that Baptist University will treat the children as guinea pigs for its students to apply their theories and conduct research.
"I can guarantee all the teaching staff are QKT (Qualified Kindergarten Teachers)," Mrs. Lai clarified. "The involvement of students of the Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Early Childhood Education program is only an extra."
Before planning to open its affiliated kindergarten, Baptist University spent more than a year to visit the kindergartens in China and Taiwan so as to take their experience as reference.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong also has a nursery school inside
the campus.
The Chung Chi Nursery School, which opened in 1967, now has 28 students and two teachers.
It is a small-scale nursery school for different races and nationalities and one of the teachers is a native English speaker.
"This nursery opened simply because the staff living in the university need a school for their children," said Mrs. Jennifer Chan, the honorary manager of the Chung Chi Nursery School.
It is often thought that the school is owned by the University.
"The University only offers us space. It is not run by the university," Mrs. Chan added.
"Providing children with nursery care is our primarily motivation
for running this school. We do offer priority to the staff of The Chinese University."
Mrs. Chan said she did not see any "brand-name effect" created by The Chinese University on the nursery school. However, many staff of the university still want their children to study in this school.
"I put my son here because I think when my son leaves this school, he can probably speak fluent English," said Mr. Lam whose son studied in the Chung Chi Nursery School since February.
"I do appreciate the teaching methods of this school as it doesn't push students too much and can let them explore their interests of learning through playing.
"Moreover, I prefer a foreigner to be the teacher of my son as he can improve his oral English earlier."
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