Faced with Hong Kong’s expensive and pressuring schools, some parents home-school instead

In Hong Kong, education is mandatory between the ages of six and 15 and parents must register their children at accredited schools during this period. However, a growing number of parents in the city are opting to educate their children at home with bespoke curricula. Alex von Etzdorf, a home-schooling parent and tutor, says that when she chose to take her son out of school after the pandemic, she and her husband did not follow a traditional curriculum. Instead, she ensured their son was achieving appropriate levels in writing, reading and maths, while her husband focused on skills such as tradecraft and electronics.

Home-schooling is legal in Hong Kong, but it is not widely encouraged by the Education Bureau (EDB). The EDB asks parents to notify them if they choose to home-school and may conduct assessments to ensure children receive a suitable education, stressing in every case that the nine years of compulsory education must be covered in full.

There are several reasons families are choosing to school at home. One major factor is fallout from the pandemic. “One of the most interesting things we’ve all been through as parents is Covid and the detrimental effect it had on our children’s education. We were able to understand the impact – or lack of impact – schooling has on children coming through that and what it did for their self-esteem, their morale and their overall education,” says von Etzdorf. “And secondly, I think people are starting to wake up to the fact that education hasn’t really evolved in 40 or 50 years.”

Many families – especially expats – are also finding that getting their children into an appropriate school can be a challenge. At local schools, competition is high and there are concerns about the different language and cultural environment; meanwhile, places at international schools are extremely limited. In some cases, it is also difficult to find a good school close to home. For others, the hassle of choosing a school may not be worth it if they only plan to be in Hong Kong for a few short years. The issue is further complicated for children with special educational needs, as there are far fewer schools equipped to support them.

As ever in Hong Kong, cost is a major consideration, especially for those who want to send their children to international schools. Tuition fees can range between HK$100,000 and HK$300,000 per year.

Some parents are also choosing home-schooling for more personal reasons. For example, some may want to educate their children in a more strictly religious environment, while others may choose to remove children from particular situations, such as bullying.