Hong Kong’s private and international schools told to justify extra charges
- Education Bureau steps up scrutiny of schools’ array of charges following criticism by ombudsman
- ‘Extras’ can add up to more than annual tuition fees; schools have to explain by July 15
Hong Kong’s international and private schools will have to justify all extra charges they impose on students and address the concerns of parents by next month, as part of new requirements set by the Education Bureau.
The bureau will look closely at how much parents are asked to pay at the schools, and for what reasons, following criticism by the city’s ombudsman.
The city has about 160 private schools, including more than 50 international schools. Until now, they only needed to seek the bureau’s approval for charging tuition fees.
But many schools impose various additional fees, amounting to millions of Hong Kong dollars a year in total from each student. These fees have long allowed the schools to raise extra income, and parents who are willing to fork out more for optional charges gained priority for their children’s admission.
Some parents have long been unhappy about these charges, but the schools were left to run their affairs as they wished.
No matter whether the fees are refundable or not, they should be regulated [by the bureau]
Earlier this year, the city’s ombudsman accused education authorities of failing to keep an eye on the way the schools charged additional fees through refundable or non-refundable debentures, capital levies, nomination certificates and school construction charges.