Hong Kong officials choose site for city’s first school offering mainland Chinese curriculum, invite bids from education providers
- Education Bureau call for submissions from private sector groups interested in establishing, near Hong Kong Wetland Park, a school running mainland curriculum
- Hong Kong has dozens of international schools, but there is no mainland equivalent. Officials say it will help retain professional talent from over the border
Officials have earmarked a site near Hong Kong Wetland Park to host the city’s first school dedicated to offering a mainland Chinese curriculum, which is designed to serve the families of migrant business professionals.
The Education Bureau revealed on Thursday it was inviting submissions from private sector organisations interested in establishing a non-profit school specifically for mainland-style learning, with officers saying the plan would help retain talent in the city, though others voiced concerns about its potential impact on competition within the sector.
A bureau spokesman said there were more than 50 international schools providing non-local curricula in Hong Kong, playing an important role in attracting workers and investment to the city.
“Notwithstanding our close ties with the mainland, there is still no primary or secondary school offering the mainland curriculum in Hong Kong,” the spokesman said.
“It is difficult for these children of mainland families who have studied in Hong Kong for a few years to reintegrate into the mainland education system when they choose to continue their studies on the mainland.”
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