New Classes Help Toddlers Prepare for That All-Important Nursery School Interview

(Photo: BBC)

Yoyo Chan is one and a half years old. She has a big task ahead of her: nailing the nursery school interview. Doing so can get her into the best nursery school, which can lead to the best kindergarten, then elmentary school, and, eventually, the best medical school.

It all comes down to now. Focus, Yoyo. Focus.

In Hong Kong, many parents want their kids to offer their best at the competitive nursery school interview process. A dozen openings at a top school can lead to a thousand applications. So some companies now offer to train toddlers to perform better than their competitors during the interviews. Helier Cheung reports for the BBC:

At interview class, Yoyo is asked to greet the tutor and introduce herself. The tutor then asks her to complete a number of tasks, including building a house with bricks, drawing a picture, sticking two felt eyes in the right position on a felt face, and identifying pieces of fruit.
A little shy to begin with, Yoyo quickly warms up and appears to enjoy the tasks and playing with the toys.
"These classes and interviews can be hard work," says her mother, Emma. "But I do want her to be prepared. Most parents want their child to have a good start."
One nursery Emma is keen on had more than 100 interviewees for just nine places, so she'll do whatever she can to increase her daughter's chances of success.
Yoyo's younger brother, still a baby, will begin interview classes in a few months, she says - when he's about eight months old.

-via Dave Barry

So the kids who get those slots are the ones who need preschool the least, huh? Here, preschool is open to all, but the school tries to reach out to those who need it most. You can get your kid in at age 3 if the child has a special need.

I thought I might get my youngest in at 3 because English was her second language. When I told them that, the teachers turned around and asked my kid something, and got an entire monologue that convinced them she was fluent enough. So she waited another year.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

My son lives in China and has a daughter who is 2 yrs old. China does not have public schools. You must pay tuition for your child to go to a school and it can be very expensive. The pressure is enormous for children to be accepted to the 'right' kind of school. We are so lucky to have our taxes paying for our public schools here in the USA.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Just a small note: Public schools in China are free for 5+ and USA are 4+ years old. I understand that 1 year is a big difference though. I agree that the USA school system is a better experience vs China though (at least what I've seen in big cities).

Get Updates In Your Inbox