Parental Advice

Reyna Harilela, Fiona Kotur Marin and Helena Pong discuss education, schools in Hong Kong and the need to nurture a love for learning with Jacqueline Kot

hether it’s for a kindergarten or a secondary school, finding the institution that will bring out the best in their children is a vitally important task that all parents have to tackle. Mother-of-three Reyna Harilela, the co-founder of public relations firm Bonvivant & Bellavita, talks about her experience with the English Schools Foundation (ESF) system. Fiona Kotur Marin, the founder of international handbag brand Kotur, believes in encouraging each of her four children, all boys, to develop a passion for something that particularly interests them. In turn, Helena Pong—who established Sophie Kindergarten & Nursery School—shares her selection criteria from when she was researching schools for her two girls. Choosingtherightschoolisan all-consumingprocessforeveryparent. Canyoushareyourexperience?

Reynaharilela(rh): Luckily, I never had to overthink this process. Our family has come from a lineage of sons and daughters who have attended the same schools. My daughters all went to Kowloon Junior School and King George V School (KGV) for their secondary education. They used to attend school in a family bus with all their cousins. For university, it was the same. My daughters knew they wanted to attend Pepperdine University, just like their dad, so they worked towards that all by themselves. I almost sent Nadia to Cheltenham Ladies’ College when she was 11. Now Naomi, my youngest daughter, is applying to boarding schools in the UK