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The upmarket Harrow school in Tuen Mun. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong accused of 'ignoring affordability' after granting land to elite British, Dubai schools

Government ignoring affordability by awarding sites to famous institutions, claims lawmaker

Three elite international schools have been granted sites to open shop in Hong Kong.

Two of them are famous British boarding schools Shrewsbury School and Malvern College. The third operator, Dubai-based ESOL Education, runs nine international schools around the Middle East and Mediterranean.

Civic Party lawmaker Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok accused the government of "ignoring affordability completely" by granting sites to these expensive schools.

Meanwhile, International Montessori School in Tin Hau, whose contract with its landlord is due to end next year, failed to secure a site in the land grant exercise.

"These elite schools charge very high prices," said Chan. "Middle classes, even professionals, will not be able to afford it. The Education Bureau ignored affordability completely."

The government's decision to grant a site in Tuen Mun to Harrow International School in 2009 drew much criticism and debate on whether land should be granted to expensive elite schools.

The bureau announced yesterday the allocation of five sites for international school development, including two vacant school premises in Aberdeen and Tai Po, and three green-field sites in Tseung Kwan O and Tai Po.

Shrewsbury got a green-field site in Siu Chik Sha, Tseung Kwan O; Malvern obtained a site near the Science Park in Tai Po; while ESOL received a vacant campus in Ma Chung Road, Tai Po.

The other two sites were granted to the Harbour School - a small international school based in Kennedy Town, which also caters to children with special education needs - and French International School.

David Roberts, governor of Shrewsbury's Bangkok branch, said the Hong Kong school would open in August 2018 and the application process would begin in late 2017. He said the tuition fees would be around HK$170,000 a year.

The school will provide over 850 places for international children aged five to 11 years old. About 20 per cent of places will be reserved for local children.

"Having more school places for their employees encourages overseas companies to either come to Hong Kong or to increase their presence in Hong Kong," said Roberts.

The founder of Shrewsbury Bangkok, Chatri Sophonpanich, is Executive Councillor Bernard Chan's uncle.

A bureau spokesman said the Executive Council was not involved in the allocation exercise. He said Chan would also be a member of Shrewsbury's school management committee.

"The prime consideration is quality of education," he said. "No applicant would enjoy any privilege because of the participation of any public figure."

In a previous interview with the , Malvern's headmaster Antony Clark said the school planned to offer 300 places and charge up to HK$160,000 a year.

The five schools are expected to provide about 4,270 places - 3,490 primary and 780 secondary - by school year 2018-19.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Elite overseas schools get land to open in city
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