The English Schools Foundation will impose a HK$25,000 levy on new pupils admitted to its 14 publicly funded schools to raise cash to replace ageing buildings.
The move, announced yesterday, was greeted with disbelief by parents. It takes the schools group for English-speaking children closer to the private international sector, where most parents pay a hefty debenture or refundable capital levy.
Some international schools have introduced refundable levies in recent years as a fairer alternative to corporate and individual debentures, which must be sold on and have drawn criticism for allowing queue-jumping and soaring second-hand prices.
Annual fees for ESF pupils are HK$89,250 at secondary schools and HK$58,100 at primary schools. They were frozen last year after increases of nearly 23 per cent in primary schools and 13.45 per cent in secondaries over three years.
All pupils admitted to Year One of primary schools and Year Seven of secondary schools will have to pay the one-off levy on top of the normal fees when they start school from August 2011 onwards. Children who enter the school in other year groups will also have to pay. The levy is refundable in full, with no interest, when a child leaves school.
All children now attending ESF primary schools will have to pay the levy when they transfer to secondary school. However, those already at secondary school will not be affected.