School fees to rise

The Education Bureau has approved fee increases at 63 international and private schools, with one school raising its fees by as much as 40 per cent.

Twenty international schools of the 23, which had applied for tuition fee increases were allowed to raise their fees by less than 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, two of the 40 private schools which applied for increases were allowed to raise their charges 20 per cent and 40 per cent, while 25 schools were allowed increases of up to 10 per cent.

The bureau said it had considered factors like increases in teachers' salaries, improvements in facilities and inflation.

The Hong Kong Alliance of Parents Association said the increases would hit middle-class families the most.

It said that it was time to freeze fees, not raise them, given the current economic situation.

The parents' association said the government should review its tuition fee adjustment mechanism to reflect the latest economic situation and affordability.