Classroom waiting lists hitting HK's competitiveness: survey
The government must give higher priority to expanding international schools to tackle long waiting lists that are damaging Hong Kong's competitiveness, according to a study released yesterday.
The study of 12 international schools commissioned by the American Chamber of Commerce found average waiting lists of 331 students at five schools that provided such information. The total number of students on the waiting lists was 1,654.
The proportion of students from local families attending international schools increased from 13 per cent to 14 per cent from 2003 to 2005, while student turnover shrank, with more students staying for their whole school career.
Meanwhile, 14 schools wanting to expand were facing difficulties in gaining land grants and surplus school buildings from the government because they had to deal with 14 government departments and agencies and were ill-equipped for the task.
The report calls for the government to give higher priority to expansion requests from international schools and for the adoption of an 'expansion policy' at the 'highest levels of government'. It also proposed the administration set up a one-stop shop to streamline the process of applying for buildings and land and co-ordinate schools' dealings with the 14 departments and agencies more efficiently.
AmCham president Jack Maisano said: 'The study has found that the waiting lists for international schools are real and they are long. The waiting lists keep growing and will continue to keep growing as foreign investors continue to move into Hong Kong.
