Hong Kong’s English Schools Foundation to freeze fees for first time in decade to ease parents’ burden amid coronavirus crisis

ESF says its board has made decision in light of anxiety and financial burden some families face amid class suspensions and economic slowdown

Hong Kong has faced challenges including anti-government protests and pandemic in recent months, CEO Belinda Greer says

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The ESF last froze its fees more than a decade ago. Photo: SCMP

Published: 8:00am, 24 Mar 2020Updated: 8:22am, 24 Mar 2020

Hong Kong’s largest provider of English-medium international education will freeze fees for its 22 schools in the upcoming academic year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first time it has done so in a decade.

The English Schools Foundation (ESF) said in a letter to parents on Monday that its board had made the decision in light of the anxiety and financial burden some families faced amid class suspensions and an economic slowdown.

CEO Belinda Greer said the city had faced challenges including anti-government protests and the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months.

Belinda Greer said Hong Kong had faced challenges in recent months. Photo: David Wong

“I have never known such difficult times in my long career as an educator,” she wrote.

“You have had to cope with in-school class suspensions of a type not seen in a generation, you have faced an economic slowdown that could well end up to be unprecedented in its scale and, of course, you have had to deal with the anxiety of your family living through a time that is often hard to comprehend.”

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