HK$180 million in subsidies help Hong Kong international schools save jobs during pandemic, but parents appeal for fee discounts
- With many schools still charging full fees, financially strapped parents say they need help too
- Biggest subsidy recipient was the English Schools Foundation, which got HK$71 million for 2,954 employees
The top beneficiary was the city’s biggest international school group, the English Schools Foundation (ESF), which received more than HK$71 million, while dozens of other schools received help to the tune of millions of dollars each for the period from June to August.
With face-to-face classes suspended for four months because of the pandemic, some schools offered fee discounts in recent months and introduced financial assistance schemes for students who need help. Some have frozen tuition fees for the 2020-21 academic year
But some with children in international schools have urged the institutions to do more, saying parents are going through difficult times, including facing pay cuts and lay-offs.
The government’s HK$81 billion Employment Support Scheme is designed to save jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a monthly subsidy to cover up to 50 per cent of employees’ wages, capped at HK$9,000 per worker. The first round extended from June to August. Employers had to apply for the subsidy and pledge not to lay off any staff.