The English Schools Foundation has written to schools and parents allaying concerns about comments made by its new chairwoman, Felice Lieh Mak.
Professor Mak was reported in a Chinese newspaper last week as saying that if Hong Kong's economic situation deteriorated the ESF may be forced to increase school fees, cut staff salaries and close under-enrolled schools. She was also reported as saying that costs needed to be cut because of a $35 million deficit and recent cuts in its government subvention.
John Bohan, acting chief executive, this week wrote to ESF stakeholders in response to concerns expressed in staffrooms and among parents about her comments.
'Clearly, this might worry some,' he said. 'Professor Mak and I discussed this [last] Friday evening,' he said. She was responding to a hypothetical question that the journalist raised as to what the ESF would do if Hong Kong went through another major recession, he said.
'We are not anywhere near closing schools with low enrolments. We do not have any schools with seriously low enrolments. Our budgets for the next two years will be balanced - there is no $35 million deficit,' he said. Professor Mak now 'regrets' having given such detail of a 'worst-case scenario'.
The remarks, he said, 'did not represent current policy or plans'.
