*********************************
Following is a question by Hon Jeffrey Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, in the Legislative Council today (April 22):
Question:
All along, there have been members of the business community relaying to me that when overseas talents and investors decide whether to develop their careers and conduct investment activities in Hong Kong, they will consider whether they can arrange their underage children to be enrolled in the international schools in Hong Kong. As most of them will work or conduct investment activities in business districts after they arrive in Hong Kong, the international school places on Hong Kong Island are the most sought after. In connection with the supply of and demand for international school places, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the average fill-up rate of, the number of students enrolled in and the number of students waiting for admission to international schools as a whole in each of the past three school years, with a breakdown by region (i.e. Kowloon, the New Territories and Hong Kong Island);
(2) whether it knows the number and percentage of local students among the students of international schools in each of the past three school years;
(3) whether it knows the total number of international school places and the increase in such places in each of the past three school years, with a breakdown by region; and
(4) whether it has studied if there was a shortfall in the international school places on Hong Kong Island in the past three school years; if it has not studied, of the reasons for that; if it has studied, the details, and if the study results indicate such a shortfall, whether the Government has any solution in place; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government is committed to developing a vibrant international school sector through various measures mainly to meet the demand for international school places from overseas families living in Hong Kong and families coming to Hong Kong for work or investment. Our response to the four parts of the question raised by Hon Jeffrey Lam is as follows:
(1) A breakdown of the number of students enrolled and the percentage of students to school places in international schools by Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories from the 2012/13 to 2014/15 school years is set out at Appendix 1. According to the findings of a consultancy study completed in late 2012, the number of students on the waiting list for international school places (Note) were 3 918 at primary level and 452 at secondary level in the 2011/12 school year. The number of students on the waiting lists kept by international schools may be inflated as some schools do not take out the entries on their waiting list following the subsequent admission of students to other schools. Furthermore, some students may apply for more than one school and hence their applications are covered by the waiting list of different schools. In view of the above, under the study, the number of students on the waiting lists has been adjusted to take into account the possible "over-reporting". We are unable to provide a breakdown of the number of students on the waiting lists of international schools by area.
(2) The number and percentage of local students among the students in international schools from the 2012/13 to 2014/15 school years are set out at Appendix 2.
(3) A breakdown of the number of international school places and the year-on-year change of the places by Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories from the 2012/13 to 2014/15 school years are set out at Appendix 3.
(4) According to the findings of a consultancy study completed in late 2012, it is projected that based on the position of the 2011/12 school year, there will be a shortfall of around 4 200 primary places in the 2016/17 school year. To address the projected shortfall, we have already completed the allocation of three vacant school premises for international school development in April 2013, which is expected to provide 1 150 additional primary places and 210 secondary places by the 2016/17 school year. For the remaining projected shortfall in primary places, we are conducting a new round of school allocation exercise (SAE) to further increase the supply through allocating two vacant premises and three greenfield sites for international school development.
Further to the consultancy study completed in end 2012, we commissioned a new round of the study in October 2014 to update the latest position of international school places at primary and secondary levels in the territory and to better understand the nature of the demand in the next few years. The study will also collect views through surveys from international schools and the business sector as well as the international community in order to have a broader understanding of the concerns of different stakeholders. Such information, coupled with the past trends of demand for international school places and the forecast changes in economic growth, will be useful reference for projecting the demand from overseas families coming to Hong Kong for work or investment. The study is expected to complete by end 2015. Subject to the results of the study and availability of suitable sites or vacant school premises for international school development, we will consider whether and when to launch a new round of SAE for international school development.
Note: The consultancy study completed in end 2012 covered the provision of primary and secondary school places of schools operated by the English Schools Foundation, other private international schools and private independent schools.
Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:55
NNNN