School guides

Despite the expense, more Hong Kong parents are sending their children to boarding schools in locations such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the US. For some, it is about stability and freedom of education. For many, it is due to the perceived benefits such as excellent academic results, exposure to more innovative & creative teaching methodologies, a shortcut to international universities and substantial personal development.

Before the new term starts in January, we felt it was important to debunk some myths about signing up to after school activity programs at international schools. If you’re a parent with a child attending an international school, it is true that it may be logistically straightforward to have your child stay at school after lessons end to continue with extracurricular activities. This saves you having to plan a trip by car/taxi/MTR to another venue. However, there are some significant drawbacks to these programs which parents may not be aware of.

Many parents in Hong Kong choose to send their children to local primary schools in order to build a solid Chinese language foundation. However, once their child reaches P5/Grade 5, parents become keen to prepare their child for the possibility of international study given the strong correlation with prestige, career opportunities and future salary. We are also at a point in time when many expats with overseas ties have left Hong Kong due to pandemic constraints which is contributing to a unique opportunity in available places at international schools.

We pack all the information you need in one place to make navigating the local school system in Hong Kong easy. We describe the admissions processes, reference relevant application form links and share all relevant dates [1] to ensure you don’t miss out on enrolling your child!

 

If there’s one thing that’s sure to instil fear in the heart of a Hong Kong parent, it’s the prospect of Early Years and Primary school applications and admissions interviews. It’s perfectly understandable – we’ve all heard stories of how difficult it is to get your child into a top school.