Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s international schools face financial uncertainty as nervous parents mull pulling children

Many of Hong Kong’s international schools might be facing financial uncertainty, as tentative start dates for the new term have been pushed back to April 20. These schools account for 5 per cent of the city’s kindergarten, primary and secondary pupils.

Amid global efforts to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, there is also no guarantee that these dates will not be pushed back further. And the fear is that the continued closure of schools, or even the tough economic times Hong Kong is facing, might prompt expat parents to return their children for schooling to their own countries, straining school resources.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests a little more intent to leave than usual, but re-enrolments are not yet due. The effect of withdrawals may not be felt until July or August. That said, there’s no shortage of demand from non-international families, and I’m sure we’ll see some flexibility in admission requirements,” said Ruth Benny, founder of Top Schools, a private schools consultancy in Hong Kong. She said the re-enrolment process will start around Easter.

Some international students are being moved by nervous expat parents to attend schools in their home countries so that they can simply be in classes with other students again, Anne Murphy, director of ITS Educational Services, said.

“Our company has received a significant number of enquiries from new clients who are considering repatriating back to their home countries, and others who want consultancy services about admissions to schools in Thailand and Singapore. Before the virus, we also witnessed parents from mainland China withdrawing their children [from schools in Hong Kong] and enrolling them in schools in Shanghai and Beijing,” Murphy said.

“What we don’t know yet is how many families will actually return for the remainder of the academic year. Schools probably don’t have the exact numbers either,” she said, adding that financial losses to international schools would not really be known until 2021.

There is no evidence yet of an exodus from Hong Kong. The number of residents arriving through its airport in February was substantially higher than the number departing, according to data from the Hong Kong Immigration Department. “There are many more parents sticking it out in Hong Kong, who believe it will recover. It’s not easy just to up and leave when you are working full time, or own a business,” Murphy said.