Year 1 English Schools Foundation pupils set for 28.3pc fee rise as Hong Kong government subsidy starts to shrink
The rise is 6 percentage points higher than an estimate last September; other students in the ESF system face more modest increases of just over 6 per cent
Parents with a child entering Year 1 at English Schools Foundation (ESF) institutions in August will have to pay 28.3 per cent more as the government starts to phase out its annual HK$283 million subsidy.
The annual fee for Year 1 pupils at ESF primary schools and the Jockey Club Sarah Roe School will soar from HK$78,700 to HK$101,000.
ESF fees soar 22 per cent for new pupils as Hong Kong government subsidy is phased out
The sharp rise is attributed to the loss of the government subvention, which will be phased out over 13 years starting from August.
“[T]he fee level for students in Year 1 will also include HK$17,200 which accounts for the loss of the subvention, in addition to the annual fee increase across ESF,” the foundation’s website said.
An ESF spokeswoman explained that the increase was some 6 percentage points higher than the amount reported last September as the earlier figure was an estimate.
As the loss of the subvention will only affect pupils who join ESF schools in Year 1, school fees for others – from Year 2 to 13 – will be smaller.
For primary pupils from Years 2 to 6, the annual fee will increase by 6.5 per cent to HK$83,800.