The government is to limit further the number of local students attending international schools amid concerns from business that the lack of places is discouraging foreign investors.
But the reduction from 50 to 30 per cent in the proportion of local students the schools can enrol applies only to new institutions operating in or on government property, leading critics to describe it as just a cosmetic change.
Existing schools say they will stick to the 50 per cent rule.
The city's international schools have become known for their long waiting lists, and critics say they could get longer with more expatriates coming to the city as business shifts from the West to Asia and more locals turn to international schools to escape stressful teaching methods.
The bureau told of the change in response to e-mail queries on how to improve access to international schools for expatriates.
At present, international schools using government land or premises can draw up to half of their students from the local population. But the rules do not apply to schools with their own properties, some of which are taking in up to 80 per cent local students.