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Brandon Learning Centre today (December 20) opened its second teaching centre in Jordan, Kowloon, in an expansion to capitalise on the fast-growing education industry in Hong Kong.
When it first set up in Hong Kong in 2006, Brandon Learning Centre introduced the English Speaking Board (ESB) curriculum, a UK public speaking programme which has since seen rising demand from parents of students of all ages.
Brandon Learning Centre Director Ms Jessica Ogilvy-Stuart said that strong demand for the ESB programme prompted Brandon Learning Centre to open its second branch in Kowloon, in an area chosen for its accessibility. She said, "Hong Kong is an incredibly efficient place with an excellent public transport system, which means that teachers will be able to travel between the two schools without too much trouble."
Over the past five years, Brandon Learning Centre has extended beyond its own campus with teachers regularly teaching the ESB programme in local and international schools upon invitation. Ms Ogilvy-Stuart said that demand for public speaking and UK school preparation is growing, given the increasing number of overseas and Mainland Chinese families coming to live in Hong Kong.
She said, "We are seeing new groups coming into Hong Kong from both Mainland China and Europe and, as a result, we have expanded our offering. We are doing more preparation for overseas education now and have also opened a consultancy which advises parents on UK schools." Brandon will be holding a Summer School next year which will be taught together with teachers from Eton College.
To benefit the wider community, Brandon Learning Centre holds a charity show twice a year which benefits local charity Helping Hand and raises funds for the well-being of Hong Kong's senior citizens. This year's Helping Hand charity show will be held today. Other charity initiatives that the Centre has become involved in include various children's fundraisers with Christian Action, the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children, Kids4Kids and Bring Me a Book.
The Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Andrew Davis, said, "We are happy to see Brandon Learning Centre succeeding in the local education industry." He added that Invest Hong Kong would continue to offer assistance with any further expansion plans that the Centre may have.
About Brandon Learning Centre
Brandon Learning Centre was founded in 2006 by Ms Jessica Ogilvy-Stuart, M.Ed, to offer public speaking programmes and to prepare students for overseas studies. Brandon has established links with a number of UK schools and works closely with them on local promotion and recruitment. Since its inception, Brandon has helped over 3 500 students to increase their confidence and thrive in an international environment. For more information, please visit www.brandoncentre.com.
About Invest Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to take responsibility for Foreign Direct Investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As it celebrates its 11th year of operation, Invest Hong Kong has completed over 2 300 investment projects creating more than 28 000 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and $60 billion of investment. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:39
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