A small Hong Kong international school faces a struggle to realise its big dreams

Perched in tranquil Tai Po, the tiny Norwegian International School is valued by parents for its community atmosphere, personal approach and the value it places on cultivating children's individuality, its principal says.

But the school finds itself in a dilemma. It must balance its desire to expand with the challenge of a near-impossible struggle against big-name competitors with deep pockets and fees to match who are keen to get a share of the strong demand for school places from both Hongkongers and expatriates.

"Our parents are telling us they really want us to expand", said Aaron Wise, the school's principal. "They are saying when they look at secondary schools they can't find one that does this kind of care for the students and the small setting."

At present, the school does not have a secondary section for its 100 kindergarten and 150 primary pupils to move on to. Administrators are looking for a location for secondary classes, including sites offered by the government to meet a glaring need for international school places.

The Education Bureau warned in 2013 of a shortage of 4,200 places by 2016 and in March last year offered two sites in Tai Po for schools - a former school campus and a plot near the Science Park. Wise's school applied for the empty campus on Ma Chung Road but was one of about 50 operators to do so, making success "extremely unlikely".

"If you look at a map of where the international schools are there is a big hole here in the middle of the New Territories," he said. "With the Science Park opening up, a lot of expats are moving out here. There really is a huge demand here."