Education for Expats
Hong Kong has a good standard of education where it is valued and taken seriously, so much in fact, children are expected to start in education from the age of 3, with the government in full acknowledgment of the importance of an early start in education. It is similar to the English education system, due to the fact it was colonised by the British until 1997. Parents will often take an active role in their child's education and spend a lot of time preparing them for entrance exams, as places in the best schools are hard to find.
Schools in Hong Kong tend to have strict codes of discipline and nearly all students in the territory wear a school uniform.
The expatriate community is well served for education, with many international schools catering to students wishing to follow the national curriculum of the UK (The English Schools Foundation from primary to secondary level), The United States educational system is offered at The Hong Kong International School and many other international schools including France, Canada, Japan and Korea. It is rare for international school students to take local public exams, they are more likely to sit British GCSE and A-Levels, for example.
You should make your choice of school a priority as waiting lists for the best establishments are a certainty and it may have a bearing on your choice of place to live.
English Schools Foundation
43B Stubbs Road
+852 2574 2351
Website: English Schools Foundation
info@esfcentre.edu.hk
The English Schools Foundation enjoys respect in Hong Kong. A non profit educational foundation (in fact, the largest in Asia) it operates over 20 schools in Hong Kong, has enjoyed decades of success in providing a modern education for expatriates in Hong Kong and continues to do so. The ESF is comprehensive and non selective, although students tend to perform well, with graduating students moving on to the best universities globally.
The school receives a grant from the Hong Kong Government and charges parents a hefty tuition fee. At the time of writing (May '06) the fees are HKD 47,300 for primary school students and HKD 78,600 for secondary school students which are set to rise soon.
Need advice? Got a question? Go to our Hong Kong Forum