German Swiss International School (GSIS) is a leading dual-language international school in Hong Kong that has offered through-train education from Kindergarten to Secondary since 1969. Delivering a unique multicultural experience, GSIS is renowned for its academic excellence in two parallel streams, the English International Stream preparing students for IGCSE and IB, and the German International Stream leading to the globally accepted German International Abitur (DIA). We chatted with two families for insights into why they’ve chosen GSIS.
Family #1
Michael and Emmy are parents of seven-year-old Allison, who attends K02 in the German International Stream at GSIS Hong Kong
Why did you choose the school?
Our family has always been interested in different languages, and we understand that it would be much easier to learn a new language at a very young age. We were intrigued by the CLIPPY programme in the German International Stream, which was designed for students who don’t have any German language skills, or they’re only very limited.
Apart from its renowned reputation for academic excellence, we knew our child would receive a bilingual education and receive a globally recognised diploma where she would be able to go anywhere in the world. Germany is also one of the most stable economies in the world and if she wanted to continue her higher education in Germany, she would be able to go freely with an education resident visa and the university tuition would be covered by the German government as well.
How was the experience of the German school system different from others?
Compared to other school systems we experienced before, we found the German curriculum to be very caring, fostering independence and creativity. The students have enough time to explore and play together in guided and unguided social activities which helps them to build better social skills and relationships.
What do your children like best about the school?
Our daughter made friends within the first few days and always looks forward to going to school every morning. She acquired German language skills quickly, and has been able to manage the majority of school work by herself.
Tell us something about the school that you particularly admire or that your children have really enjoyed.
We noticed in particular how her independence and self-esteem improved a lot, and she has made friends very quickly. Our daughter has been learning German quickly, being embedded in a German environment – not only language-wise but also from a cultural perspective. The school work has always been clearly communicated and presented at a level that enabled us as parents to be included and help.
Family #2
Olive is a mum of two girls, Isabel (5) who attends the German International Stream Primary School and Sofia (3) at the German International Stream Kindergarten.
Why did you choose the school?
I am a proud GSIS Alumni and have fond memories growing up with supportive teachers and peers who became, and remain, some of my closest friends in Hong Kong. So I was keen to send my children to GSIS and hoped that they would experience the same.
When choosing between the two streams (English versus German), we wanted our children to embrace learning German at a very young age since it’s much easier for children to acquire new language skills then. We also really like the German curriculum as it supports independent learning from early on. The fact that the curriculum is bilingual helps to build the confidence of our non-German speaking children from the beginning. The great facilities and close communication are another huge plus for us. After one year of school, Isabel can already converse in German confidently. It’s amazing!
What do your children like best about the school?
Our daughters love to go to school every day. They particularly enjoy the free-play time with their classmates and the frequent outings, such as visits to the theatre and museum. In Kindergarten, they study in mixed age groups so students can learn a lot from each other during their different stages. My daughter Isabel was rather shy before she joined GSIS and now she has flourished to be very confident.
Tell us something about the school that you particularly admire or that your children have really enjoyed.
We appreciate being involved a lot in what is happening at the school, such as volunteering, play dates and various school events. During COVID, when students could not attend school physically, the online learning offered by GSIS was well structured. The duration of each online session was 15 to 20 minutes and the sessions were delivered in small groups, which successfully engaged young children to learn and participate. I particularly appreciated that the teachers provided guidance to the children and encouraged them to use different methods to come to a solution in order to build on their critical thinking and creativity.
Kindergarten and Vorschule / Lower Primary: 162 Pok Fu Lam Road, Pok Fu Lam
Upper Primary and Secondary: 11 Guildford Road, The Peak
2849 6217 | info@gsis.edu.hk | gsis.edu.hk
See more in our Living in Hong Kong section.
