British education system will survive Brexit, UK international school heads say

Hong Kong parents seeking a British-style education for their children should focus on that and not be unduly concerned by other factors such as the ongoing Brexit negotiations. That was the view expressed by several principals at the inaugural SCMP EdTalk, on the topic “Education Trends: UK Curriculum and STEAM” held on October 7.

Co-organised with Hong Kong Parenting, the event featured panel discussions and networking opportunities for attendees to meet representatives from leading international schools in Hong Kong.

“British-style education and the English national curriculum are offered in many countries around the world and that won’t change,” said Ben Keeling, principal of Shrewsbury International School Hong Kong. The curriculum and related values, he added, were widely respected not just because they represented a connection with Britain, but because they provided an education pathway to an extensive range of options for further study at tertiary level.

Indeed, Ann McDonald, principal of Kellett School, believed the after-effects of Brexit could even have a stabilising influence on the British education system.

“There have been a lot of recent changes to A-Level and GCSE curriculums,” she said, referring to the use of linear instead of modular grading and a marking scale of 1 to 9 rather than G to A-star. There could also be a boost in terms of the importance attached to learning different languages.