More than half of Hong Kong’s direct subsidy scheme schools apply to raise tuition fees for the next academic year, citing inflation and rising costs
- Figures released by the Education Bureau show 39 of 72 schools covered by the scheme have asked for permission to raise charges
- The fee rises range from 2.8 per cent to 19.2 per cent
More than half of government-funded schools in Hong Kong have applied to raise tuition fees for the next school year, charging parents as much as 19 per cent more annually.
Figures released by the Education Bureau on Tuesday showed that, as of May 3, it had received 39 applications for fee rises from 72 primary and secondary schools under the direct subsidy scheme (DSS), three fewer than in the same period last year.
Direct subsidy scheme schools benefit from government funding but can also charge fees.
Among the 39 schools, at least 24 requested rises ranging from 2.8 per cent to 19.2 per cent, according to information obtained by the Post.
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Five of them asked for an increase of more than 10 per cent, with four of them currently charging parents a maximum of HK$7,300 (US$930) a year – still lower than the fees charged by traditional elite schools.
Wong Wing-tung, principal of Pak Kau College in Tin Shui Wai, which is requesting the 19.2 per cent rise, told the Post it planned to charge its secondary school pupils HK$5,100 a year, an HK$820 increase on this year.
“Our fees are already relatively low compared with others and we felt that an extra HK$82 a month is quite reasonable,” said Wong.
“We want to maintain the quality of our educators and teaching standards so, taking into account the inflation rate and other expenses, we came up with the increase and also got the approval of the school supervisors as well as parents,” he explained.
He added that extra money was needed for the school to better equip itself for the government’s push for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and other technologies needed for the integrated curriculum.
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Confucius Hall Secondary School in Causeway Bay told the Post that it planned to increase fees by 11.8 per cent on average and Fanling Lutheran Secondary School had requested to charge an extra 15 per cent.
Both said the applications were due to the inflation rate and rising costs.
Meanwhile, 22 schools, including some among the traditional elite, indicated that their fees would stay the same for the 2019/20 school year.
These include Good Hope School and Diocesan Girls’ School in Kowloon, St Paul’s Convent School in Causeway Bay and St Paul’s College in Mid-Levels.
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All applications are subject to approval before summer, according to a bureau spokeswoman.
“In approving applications for tuition fees adjustment by DSS schools, the bureau will carefully review the financial budget submitted by the school and the rationale for the adjustment,” she said.
Schools are also required to fully communicate with parents the application for a fee adjustment, the bureau added.
It also made sure the increase per school did not exceed 20 per cent on the 2018/19 school year.
Fee-paying schools have in recent years become notorious for exorbitant charges with some fees exceeding HK$200,000 (US$25,640) a year.
Hong Kong has more than 1,000 primary and secondary schools, and most are run either by the government or voluntary bodies. These are free for Hong Kong residents and must follow the bureau’s rules for their curriculum and operations.
Parents pay fees only for DSS, private or international schools.
