Hong Kong parents seek alternatives to local schools
The rigidity of the local education system explains why parents are increasingly sending their children to ESF, international and overseas schools
Students in Hong Kong's public school system continue to rack up strong results in international assessments. But that's not enough to stop a growing number of local parents seeking schools that offer something different.
Competition for places at English Schools Foundation and international schools is as intense as ever, while more children have gone to boarding schools in the UK - the top international destination for local students. Beijing has also emerged as an option for parents worried by the ultra-competitive environment and emphasis on grades in the Hong Kong system.
This year's launch of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exam - part of a decade-long package of reforms intended to change the ingrained mindset that exam results count above all else - has failed to stem the tide.
Grace Leung Lai-kuen sent her eldest child to an international school in Beijing three years ago, and has since been comforted by the positive changes she has seen. The mother of three was put off by the hugely competitive, high-pressure environment in the local system.
"There is no room for late bloomers; they are easily discouraged from Form 1 to 3 under the local system," she sighed.
Her daughter, now 17, is a case in point. Weak in maths, she barely made the grade to progress to an upper form and kept worrying about not being able to make it to senior forms.