Rethinking the “Tiger Parent” Stereotypes: Parents’ Choice of Primary School for Their Kindergarten Children in Hong Kong

Abstract

Mass media and previous research tend to label Asian parents as “academic-obsessive” in their parenting, which can be reflected in the primary-school choice for their children. While some extant Hong Kong studies conducted a decade ago corroborated the above contention, we aim to provide an updated account of the general criteria considered by parents in Hong Kong while selecting primary schools, and how parental income and educational level influence the selection criteria. Using a survey design, a total of 99 kindergartens (N = 3429 parents) participated in this study. Findings show parents emphasized both child-centered factors (e.g., child happiness) and academic-centered factors in their decision-making. In general, parents with higher income attached higher importance to academic-centered factors and were also less concerned about practical and cost-related aspects. Child-centered criteria were found to be less important for parents with higher income and educational level.