Picking up a private school spot

The application procedures for fully government-funded schools are completely different from those for Hong Kong’s top private schools. To avoid the almost inevitable confusion, it is advised that parents should start preparing as early as possible – even before the birth of their children.

Typically, applications are submitted a year in advance, with the academic year usually starting in September. In determining which schools to apply to, parents will generally consider criteria such as proximity to home, medium of instruction, curriculum, cost, student-teacher ratio, average class sizes, and educational philosophy and vision.

Many parents have difficulty navigating the process of private school admissions. Certain schools identify with a particular country such as Japan, Korea, Canada or France and have separate English and other language sections. Others offer dual-language or bilingual systems in English and Chinese. The majority of private schools offering an international curriculum in Hong Kong follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.

Typically, students at an American international school will have US citizenship, or parents with US citizenship, and plan to go on to tertiary education at US universities. Likewise, for British-style schools. Students graduating from IB schools have the flexibility to enter university in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong or anywhere they prefer. A majority of private schools require compulsory study of Putonghua, and expect children to be proficient on entry. Also, some schools are closely affiliated with faith denominations, though few make religious practice an absolute necessity for acceptance.