ASIA PACIFIC
...Finding a school in Hong Kong
A report commissioned by the Hong Kong Bureau of Education in 2017 revealed that the deficit in places is predicted to turn into a surplus over the coming years – particularly in the primary sector. This is good news for relocating families looking for an international education for their children and for companies in Hong Kong looking to recruit international talent.
According to the report, the number of primary places available at international schools in 2015/16 was just over 22,000 and more than 2,000 children missed out on securing a place. However, by 2022/23 it is predicted that over 27,000 places will be available – an increase of 21 per cent, but the demand for school places at primary level is only predicted to grow by five per cent. Supply will therefore outstrip demand.
The picture is somewhat different for secondary school places, however, where supply is likely to just meet demand with the prediction of just a minimal surplus of places by 2022/23.
RECENT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENTS
Some existing schools have expanded. These include the International Montessori School network in Hong Kong, which has renovated its Stanley campus to cater for a further 700 kindergarten and primary-school pupils.
Development of a new campus for the Christian Alliance International School in Butterfly Valley, Lai Chi Kok, is underway. The campus, which will offer a Canadian curriculum, opened Autumn 2017, with additional phases due to be complete by 2020.
Harrow International School Hong Kong, the first international coeducational day and boarding school in Hong Kong, opened in September 2012 and has grown rapidly. Currently boasting a student roll of over 1,500, it is undergoing a five-year period of strategic development (2013 to 2018). September 2014 saw Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong (NAIS HK) open in the Lam Tin district of East Kowloon. The school received permission to extend its campus to allow it to take students up to Year 11 and begins to welcome Year 11 students in August 2018. NAIS HK also opened its new campus in Tin Wan, Aberdeen, in the southern part of Hong Island in 2017 to cater up to Year 13.
ESTABLISHED SCHOOL OPTIONS Li Po Chun United World College (UWC) of Hong Kong
celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017. The school is part of the UWC movement, which follows a unique education model aiming to develop responsible, tolerant leaders who can bring about change in the world. It is an IB World School and actively pursues diversity within its student body, which represents over 80 different nationalities. “A special feature of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong is the breadth and depth of activities that students undertake outside of the ‘taught’ curriculum,” explains principal, Arnett Edwards. “In the afternoons and weekends students are involved in over 90 different activities based around the themes of Creativity, Action and Service. Students also participate in at least one Activities Week either in China or the rest of the world per year.” One of
the largest providers of English-medium
international education in Hong Kong is the English Schools Foundation (ESF). It was established and subsidised by the government to provide families, particularly local citizens, with access to affordable English-language education. ESF’s schools cater for different ages, from kindergarten to 18. They include two private independent schools, and they are very popular. Over 17,000 students attend, more than 5,000 of them expatriates. The ESF opened its fifth international kindergarten in Hong Kong in August 2016.
DEBENTURES AND CAPITAL LEVIES Several premium international schools in Hong Kong also demand some form of capital payment or debenture, either as an attendance requirement or, in some cases, as a route to application priority. Some payments are refundable when the child leaves a school; others are not.
ADVICE FOR INCOMING EXPATS Whilst competition for school places is not as fierce as it was in the past, the best advice is always to begin applying for schools as soon as your assignment has been confirmed. Head of marketing and admissions at Yew Chung International School Hong Kong (YCIS), Cathy Ben-David, advises prospective parents not to be afraid of asking direct questions about the admissions process and to be in direct contact with a school of interest, “At YCIS, the admissions office can give parents the support and help they need to plan joining the school at the desired time.
“YCIS is very aware that relocating families need flexibility with timing. International professionals are sought after in Hong Kong, and their accompanying families must be catered for.”
108 |
relocateglobal.com | Keep Informed
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228
