Editorial | Hong Kong’s international schools need time on quotas

The role of international schools is as important as ever as Hong Kong seeks to attract talent from the mainland and overseas. Finding a good school is a prime consideration for relocating parents. A study last year found 75 per cent of incoming talent wanted their children educated in the city, with more than 20 per cent targeting international schools.

The proportion of non-locals attending international schools has, however, dropped significantly over the past decade. Total enrolment has increased from 35,000 to 42,000 pupils since 2013. But non-locals comprised more than 80 per cent back then, compared to 65 per cent last year. The number of students with Hong Kong passports, meanwhile, has surged from 5,321 to almost 15,000.

Many families from outside Hong Kong left the city during the pandemic and political changes of recent years. Local children have taken their place. International schools appeal strongly to some local parents. The teaching style is different, there is generally less homework and the schools provide an international outlook.

Four foreign education institutions, including the English Schools Foundation, have failed to meet the requirement that at least 70 per cent of pupils are non-local. The Education Bureau has sensibly adopted a flexible approach given the extraordinary circumstances. It has, however, warned a continued failure to meet the requirement could lead to a refusal to renew the schools’ service agreements.

Common sense should prevail. The exodus of families from Hong Kong has stabilised. The number of non-local students attending international schools has already grown slightly with talent schemes bringing an influx of new arrivals. International schools have a duty to ensure there are sufficient places for the non-local pupils in need of them. But projections suggest there will not be a shortage in the near future and the proportion of non-local students is likely to pick up as Hong Kong continues to recover from the pandemic.

Schools that fall short of the 70 per cent threshold must do their best to reach it, but should be given time to do so. The priority is to ensure international schools continue to offer an attractive education for children from outside Hong Kong while also providing an alternative, where appropriate, for local children.