Hong Kong to get another American school this year, in Tai Po district
The venture, Dubai-based Esol Education’s first in East Asia, will operate a kindergarten and elementary, middle and high schools, and teach Common Core, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programmes
Another elite international school will open in Hong Kong in September, joining the ranks of foreign operators Harrow and Nord Anglia, which have opened schools in the city in the past four years. The American School Hong Kong (ASHK) will occupy two former school buildings in Tai Po, which are being overhauled for the new tenants.
The school will be run by Esol Education, a Dubai-based group set up by Walid Abushakra in 1976. A Lebanese civil engineer who found his calling in education, he has built up a network of international schools in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. The Hong Kong school will be Esol Education’s first in East Asia.
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Given the scarcity of American-style schools in Hong Kong, ASHK will be a welcome option for parents considering universities in the US for their children.
The elementary- and middle-school sections of ASHK will follow a curriculum in line with the Common Core standards, an academic benchmark adopted by states in the US to gauge student progress at successive stages of their development. The senior school will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme and Advanced Placement (AP) – an American college-preparatory curriculum.
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Esol sees its ability to attract and retain high-quality teachers as its greatest strength, says group regional director Bassam Abushakra, the founder’s son.
