The Education Department is releasing four new sites under its Private Independent Schools (PIS) scheme, three on Hong Kong Island and one in Discovery Bay. The English Schools Foundation and the Canadian International School are among those interested in building new schools under the scheme.
Like the seven sites awarded since last year, the new schools will be given the sites for a nominal sum and will receive capital grants for their construction. But unlike schools under the Direct Subsidy Schools scheme, they must recover their operating costs from school fees. 'Private Independent Schools are not a substitute for international schools but are part of an initiative trying to diversify the type of schools in Hong Kong,' said Peter Leung Pak-yan, an assistant director at the Education Department.
These schools can select their own fee-paying students, although 70 per cent must be local. 'They are free to design their own curriculum, but they also have to enable students to sit for local public exams so they can study at universities locally,' said Mr Leung.
Both the Yew Chung Education Foundation and the ESF, which have sites at Shatin and Ma On Shan, plan to offer students the option of either studying for Hong Kong qualifications or the International Baccalaureate, as well as studying extensive Chinese.
Jennifer Wisker, chief executive of the English Schools Foundation, said the ESF was keen to build a second private independent school on Hong Kong Island to meet the demand from local families for an ESF-style education, but with more Chinese in the curriculum.
School bodies have until the end of January to submit their plans for the sites. The Schools Allocation Committee will announce the successful bids in May or June.