Hong Kong needs a vibrant international school sector to maintain its competitive edge and global outlook. The government has the resources to develop a flexible system that can cater to local and expatriate families. What is needed is direction and leadership.
It is therefore a welcome development that the Education Bureau has taken up Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's pledge in his policy speech to expand the international school sector. A list of greenfield sites and vacant land has been drawn up for nonprofit-making international schools to bid for. Successful bidders will be given interest-free loans to build campuses and nominal rent to occupy the land.
At the moment, most international schools have long waiting lists and their student populations have outgrown facilities. Many expatriate families have trouble finding school places for their children and this is deterring some overseas professionals from moving to Hong Kong. More local families are placing their children in international schools for their perceived better quality or because they exert less academic pressure. All these factors have created a premium on top international schools, some of which have debentures that are now worth millions of dollars. This is unhealthy, unfair and unsustainable.
Most of the sites on offer are in the New Territories and Kowloon. Traditionally, the most prestigious international schools are on Hong Kong Island, so their first reaction may be disappointment. But land supply is tight on the island. More importantly, the government is right to spread out the locations of international schools. The earmarked sites are on prime land in their respective districts. The Tuen Mun site is near the Gold Coast, which has a growing expatriate population, as does the one in Sai Kung.
The presence of international schools in these fast developing districts - and in older areas such as Lai Chi Kok and Chai Wan - will help boost their status by attracting middle-class families and professionals to move in. This opportunity for international schools to expand should also be a chance for the city to benefit as a whole.
