179 Hong Kong schools given permission to raise fees but education officials knock back three applications

A total of 179 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong have been given permission to raise tuition fees, but education officials rejected a few applications for increases for a second consecutive year. The Education Bureau received applications for fee adjustments from 48 direct subsidy scheme (DSS), 68 private and 66 international schools for the 2019/20 academic year as of the end of August. Applications from three schools – one DSS and two international ones – were rejected, according to official figures released on Thursday. Six applications for increases in the last school year were turned down after the Ombudsman raised concerns that the bureau had a lax fee revision approval process. The city’s 71 DSS schools – which get government funding but can also charge fees – have been criticised for exorbitant charges in recent years, with the yearly tuition at six of them exceeding HK$50,000 (US$6,377) this academic year. Four were allowed to raise tuition by more than 10 per cent, with one going up by as much as 19.2 per cent. Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen said the government should act as “the gatekeeper of tuition fee increases” to help maintain a balance between enhancing education quality and keeping schools affordable. “DSS schools that charge very high school fees have caused a lot of debate over whether they are serving the public … all children, regardless of their family background,” he said. Minister’s directive on flag-raising ‘putting schools in difficult position’ “Because these schools are charging high fees, they’re effectively preventing lower-income families from entering.” The elite Ying Wa College in Cheung Sha Wan, for example, raised fees by 12 per cent, a HK$2,388 increase on the 2018/19 academic year, to HK$22,288. Law Ting Pong Secondary School, a prestigious institution in Tai Po, increased fees by 10.96 per cent on average, to a maximum of HK$22,570. In Tin Shui Wai, one of the city’s poorest areas, Pak Kau College raised fees by the highest percentage, to HK$5,100 a year, charging HK$820 more than last year. Fanling Lutheran Secondary School got approval to charge an extra 15 per cent, or a maximum of HK$8,400 in yearly tuition. Principal Mak Yuk-wa said the funds would go towards hiring more teachers, including a native English speaker. “While the percentage increase in tuition is high, our base fee is low. It’s not a lot compared with what other DSS schools are charging,” he said. The most expensive DSS school is Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, a secondary school in Ma On Shan which asks for HK$98,000 (US$12,500) in yearly tuition from local students. “The fee includes service trips to China and other parts of Asia,” said Willie Heung Wai-lam, the school’s development director. Meanwhile, 24 DSS schools kept the same fees for the 2019/20 school year. These included traditional elite schools such as Diocesan Girls’ School in Jordan, St Paul’s College in Mid-Levels and St Paul’s Convent School in Causeway Bay. DSS institutions must set aside at least 10 per cent of their fee-generated income for a fee remission and scholarship scheme. With government subsidies, DSS schools provide additional support services and facilities, have greater autonomy and flexibility in areas such as resource deployment, curriculum design and admissions. Separately, 64 international schools increased yearly tuition. Some, including Chinese International School in North Point, Hong Kong Academy in Sai Kung and Yew Chung International School in Kowloon Tong, require parents to stump up more than HK$200,000 in total for both primary and secondary education. But Ruth Benny, founder of Hong Kong education consultancy Top Schools, said it was unfair to judge a school on fees alone. The Education Bureau does not regulate additional costs like annual levies, debentures and entry fees as tightly as it does tuition fees. Parents need to understand how much schools cost, which is often not only the tuition fee Ruth Benny, Top Schools education consultancy “The tuition fee that’s stated – what parents will budget for – is that genuinely what they pay, or are they going to be hit with lots of extras during the year? Some schools will include an awful lot more than others, like trips, laptops and food,” she said. In addition to tuition, parents need to pay an annual capital levy, which schools use to fund development and are usually not refundable. Some are required to fork out money for debentures, funds that they get back without any interest when their child finishes their education at the school. “The Education Bureau does not regulate additional costs like annual levies, debentures and entry fees as tightly as it does tuition fees. Parents need to understand how much schools cost, which is often not only the tuition fee,” Benny said.