British schools rush to open new campuses in Greater Bay Area, betting on need for international schooling amid area’s growth
- Ten British schools are expected to open in the GBA by 2022, most of them located in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, bringing the total in the expanded metropolis to 13
- Besides Harrow, the other British schools with GBA plans include Fettes, Kings College, Wimbledon, Lady Eleanor Holles, Shrewsbury and St Bees
Ten British schools are expected to open in the GBA by 2022, most of them located in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, bringing the total in the expanded metropolis – with a combined population of 70 million people – to 13, according to data compiled by Venture Education, a Beijing-based consultancy.
“The government is welcoming people to open international schools” in the GBA, said Venture Education’s Senior Partner Julian Fisher during a telephone interview with South China Morning Post. “There is a planned economy here – once [the government] decide a region should open up, it opens up and everyone piles in.”
International schools levy their highest fees in China, the world’s most populous nation and the second-largest economy on Earth, where private institutions and global brands carry a premium for their cache. China is already home to 17 British schools, operating 36 campuses in multiple Chinese cities, offering everything from day classes for children from age 2 to 18 to boarding. Harrow, founded in London in 1572 under a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, already operates campuses in Beijing and Shanghai.