- At least eight fee-paying schools, along with all 22 under the English Schools Foundation, forgo the usual annual increase
- But at least four schools still intend to raise fees
A growing number of international and private schools in Hong Kong plan to freeze tuition fees, as the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic bring financial trouble for parents.
A Post check of 22 fee-paying schools found at least eight planned to charge the same for the 2020/21 school year as they did this year. That came after the English Schools Foundation's (ESF) announcement last month that it would freeze fees next year for all of its 22 international schools.
Classes at all schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong have been suspended since early February, forcing most of the city's 900,000 pupils, including some 40,000 at international schools, to resort to online learning.
Among schools freezing fees next year were Hong Kong Academy, Canadian International School, Korean International School, Mount Kelly School and Wycombe Abbey School.
Howard Tuckett, headmaster of Wycombe Abbey School, said the Aberdeen school believed it was "the right thing to do". But a reduction in fees could pose challenges, as major expenses such as staff salaries and rental fees remain.
"This is a very tough time for everyone in Hong Kong, and we're doing what we can to assist people. So we are not increasing our school fees next academic year," Tuckett said.
The school, which has about 90 students from Year One to Five, charges pupils tuition fees ranging from HK$188,000 to HK$198,000 annually.
Four schools have told parents or said in a reply to the Post they could increase tuition fees next year. They are: the International Montessori School (IMS); Independent Schools Foundation (ISF) Academy; The Harbour School; and Malvern College, which proposed an increase of no more than 5.5 per cent last November.
However, ISF Academy, which is proposing a 4.9 per cent increase for 2020/21 " meaning fees for Grade 11 and 12 pupils of up to HK$262,220 " said in a letter to parents that each student would be offered a one-off reduction of HK$10,000 for tuition in the next school year, without a means test.
The IMS also said it would be offering fee relief schemes for families facing financial challenges.
The other 10 schools in the Post analysis had either not made a decision on fee changes, or did not reply to inquiries by publication time.
There are about 160 private schools in Hong Kong, including more than 50 international schools. The median tuition fee for secondary level was HK$153,800 in 2018/19. Schools usually have to submit proposed increases to the Education Bureau by the end of April, but they do not have to submit plans if they plan to freeze fees.
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Ruth Benny, founder of private schools consultancy Top Schools, expected more private and international schools to freeze fees. Most international schools tend to increase fees by an average of 3 to 9 per cent each year, she said, which had exceeded parents' income increase and year-on-year inflation rates.
"I think parents genuinely do expect a freeze on fees," she said. "And those (schools) that had already proposed an increase would hopefully backtrack and withdraw that proposal."
It is understood that some schools earlier proposed increases to the Education Bureau for next year, but withdrew the plans.
Annie Cheung Yim-shuen, spokeswoman of concern group Parents United and a parent at an ESF secondary school, agreed private and international schools should freeze next year's school fees, if they cannot provide a reduction.
"There have been concerns among parents financially due to economic uncertainties," said Cheung. "Many local parents also believed the government should provide subsidies to our schools … because they feel if they had implemented measures such as closing all borders earlier, the current class suspension period might not have to last this long."
An online petition initiated by some parents last month, which had collected more than 1,000 signatures, asked the bureau to deny all increases to school fees, citing reasons including families facing job losses and forced unpaid leave. Some international school parents have also asked schools to partially refund this year's fees, because of class suspensions.
There are, however, some fee-paying schools which are themselves suffering financially. At least four kindergartens and preschools, the latest including EtonHouse International Pre-School and British Council International Pre-School, said they would cease operations this year due to financial difficulties and pupils' withdrawal.
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Ip Kin-yuen, who represents the education sector in the legislature, said that while private and international schools should consider freezing tuition fees, the Education Bureau might not actively intervene.
"Schools should be more understanding about the burden parents are facing … but the government would usually not exercise its administrative powers to intervene (on tuition fee changes), so it's still up to the schools to make the proposals," Ip said.
The Education Bureau did not comment in a reply on whether it would ask private and international schools to freeze tuition fees, but said it would consider parents' burdens, as well as the social and economic situation, when deciding whether to approve requests from schools.
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