The Australian International School has been granted, in principle, a site at former garrison school St George's in Kowloon Tong. But details, including the amount of land to be allotted and the number of places at the school, had yet to be finalised, said Chan Chi-tak, senior education officer. He stressed the Education Department could use only part of the vacated site, so the school, which will offer primary and secondary education, would not have the entire campus. The Australian International School, founded last year, is using borrowed premises in Tsim Sha Tsui to teach about 200 students. The school's is the only application the department has approved this year for a land grant. Five other organisations, including Po Leung Kuk, submitted applications which had been rejected. 'We studied the projected supply and demand of the international places and the operating standard of the applicants before we made the decision,' Mr Chan said. An education survey commissioned last year by the Government found that more than 5,000 additional international school places would be needed by 2000 if the economy remained attractive to overseas investors and emigrant returnees. There are about 40 international schools in Hong Kong offering more than 24,500 places. The French, Canadian and Japanese schools will take about 3,000 extra places by 2000.
