34 popular Hong Kong direct subsidy schools seek fee rises of up to 87 per cent

Thirty-four out of 82 direct subsidy schools, which are increasingly popular among parents seeking an alternative curriculum, have applied to push up tuition fees from September, with one seeking a rise of up to 87 per cent.

Another 34 would keep prices at the same level when the new school year started, the Education Bureau said on Wednesday.

The schools are partly funded by the government but enjoy greater freedom in adjusting their curriculum and charge higher fees.

Not many schools have put their proposed fees online and only a few replied to the Post’s request for details. The bureau must approve the increases.

Among the schools that did reveal the fees, Confucius Hall Secondary School in Causeway Bay planned to raise annual tuition fees by up to 87 per cent to HK$3,180.

The highly popular Diocesan Boys’ School in Mong Kok proposed increases of up to 15 per cent for its international baccalaureate programme – taking the cost to HK$93,700 a year for local pupils and HK$160,300 for non-locals. The school last year also raised its IB tuition fees by about 15 per cent.