Australian International School Hong Kong

The Australian International School Hong Kong (AISHK) is a private, Reception–Year 12, co-educational international school in Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was established in 1995.[2]

Australian International School Hong Kong
香港澳洲國際學校
School field and building in 2019
Address
3A Norfolk Road, Kowloon Tong

Kowloon

Hong Kong
Coordinates22°20′8″N 114°10′42″E
Information
Other nameAISHK
TypePrivate international school
Established1995 (1995)
Head of schoolMark Hemphill[1]
YearsReception–12
GenderCo-educational
Houses
  •   Eucalypt
  •   Jacaranda
  •   Waratah
  •   Wattle
Colour(s)Green and gold   
School feesHK$95,100 to HK$204,800 per annum (2017)
Websitewww.aishk.edu.hk
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese香港澳洲國際學校
Simplified Chinese香港澳洲国际学校

History

The school was founded to fulfill the growing demand for an Australian educational institution in Hong Kong. Brian Davies—a teacher at the Canadian International School who had lived in Hong Kong since 1986—was approached by members of the Australian Association of Hong Kong to create an Australian school.[3] Additionally, local Hong Kong businessmen suggested to Davies to create a for profit school to prepare their children for the possibility of studying in Australian universities upon graduation. The school opened on 6 February 1995 and in 1999 the first group Year 10 students were awarded their NSW School Certificate.

The school's permanent campus in Kowloon Tong was opened on 4 September 2001, with student numbers growing to over 500 students that year.[4]

Mark Hemphill served as principal until his 2020 resignation. Dr Bill McKeith, who recruited Hemphill, contributed the resignation to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hong Kong national security law.[5]

Curriculum

The school offers education from Reception to Year 12. The primary curriculum is based on the Australian National Curriculum that has been adapted to suit the international setting.[6] Students in Year 7-10 follow the NSW Stage 4 & 5 Syllabus developed by the New South Wales Board of Studies.[7] In Years 11 and 12, students can select either the Higher School Certificate [8] of the New South Wales Board of Studies or the IB Diploma Programme.[9] Mandarin Chinese is taught as part of Chinese Studies to Primary students, as part of a language in Year 7–8, and as an elective in Year 8–12.[10]

School system

The school follows a southern hemisphere calendar where the school year starts in February and ends in mid-December. The school year is broken up into four terms, with breaks usually in April, July, October, and December.[11]

The school operates under a house system where each student is assigned to a House. The Houses compete against each other each year in competitions to win points. At the end of the school year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup. The Houses are named after Australian plants: Eucalypt (green), Jacaranda (blue), Waratah (red), and Wattle (yellow).[12]

Campus

AISHK is located close to American International School Hong Kong (AIS). The building is ten stories tall with facilities such as an artificially turfed sports field, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose hall, a library, an auditorium, an aquatic centre with a 25-metre swimming pool, and a green roof.[13][14]

The campus building was the winner of the 2001 HKIA Medal of the Year, Hong Kong's foremost architectural award.[15][16]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Welcome Message". Australian International School Hong Kong. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  2. "Australian International School (AISHK) | 香港澳洲國際學校". TOP SCHOOLS HONG KONG. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  3. "The Early Years of AISHK".
  4. "A Short History of the School". Australian International School Hong Kong. 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  5. Bagshaw, Eryk (19 August 2020). "Australian Hong Kong principal resigns". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. "A Message from the Primary Division". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  7. "Year 7 to 10 Studies". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  8. "NSW Higher School Certificate". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  9. "International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  10. "AISHK 2019 Prospectus". Issuu. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  11. "School Calendar". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  12. Tatler, Hong Kong (26 January 2018). "Australian International School". Hong Kong Tatler. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  13. "Architectural Features". Australian International School Hong Kong. 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  14. "Capital Projects". www.aishk.edu.hk. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  15. "HKIA Medal of the Year 2001". The Hong Kong Institute of Architects. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007.
  16. http://www.hkia.net/en/pdf/annual_report_2006/Past_Annual_awards.pdf
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