Programme details
| Programme length | Start | End | Price | Age on departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFS year programme (academic year) | August 2009 | June 2010 | $10,750 + $100 visa | 16 -18 |
Hong Kong surrounds the world’s busiest deep-water port (“Hong Kong” in Cantonese means “fragrant harbour”), and this emphasis on trade fuels a dizzyingly paced, up-to-the-minute commercialism. At the same time, even though Hong Kong was ruled by the British from 1841 to 1997, the city’s populace is 98% Chinese, and they preserve old cultural traditions. In a city bristling with modern skyscrapers, herbal medicine shops sit next to trendy clothing boutiques, wheelbarrows are parked next to Rolls Royce and birds in cages are taken for strolls in the city’s parks past roadside fortune tellers.
Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated communities (16,000 people per square mile), which makes jostling inevitable and accepted, but socialising is respectful and formal.
Family life
Chinese families are bound by strong traditions of loyalty, obedience and respect. It is not unusual for both parents to work. Parents tend to be protective and prefer that children students stay home as much as possible. Parents also expect to know when their children are going out and where they are going.
School life
School begins in early September and finishes at the end of June. Classes are demanding and school discipline and respect for teachers are very important. Schools offer two branches of study – arts and sciences. Placement will depend on your curriculum at home, but most AFS placements are made in the arts. Classes are usually conducted in Cantonese.
There are many student activities such as sports clubs, debating societies, drama clubs and history clubs. Students are encouraged to become involved in a community service activity in order to broaden their involvement in their host community and enrich their perspectives of life in Hong Kong.
AFS Hong Kong does not accept graduates (i.e. students who have finished year 13) or smokers.
