Education and Schooling in Hong Kong

The Government is committed to providing nine years of free education (from age 6 to 15) for all children.

Both English and Chinese are widely spoken, but the government has been encouraging the use of Chinese as the main teaching language. The aim is to encourage students to be bi-literate (that is to have mastered written Chinese and English) and also to be trilingual (that is to be speak Cantonese, Putonghua (Mandarin) and English fluently).

For English-speaking students there are still a number of schools which undertake all teaching in English. The English Schools Foundation (ESF) administers 20 schools along the lines of the British system of education including a special needs school and three kindergartens.

All newcomers with school-age children would be well advised to read the fact-sheets available from the Education Bureau.

On a practical language level and also from a legal residency point of view, new arrivals will not necessarily be able to take advantage of free state education for their children.

The School System

Schools in Hong Kong fall into one of three categories. They may be government operated schools, schools which receive full funding from the government but which are run by voluntary bodies, or private schools which may or may not receive government funding.

The Education Bureau (EDB) supervises schooling in Hong Kong. Their site contains plenty of useful information for parents and students.

• For comprehensive information on education in Hong Kong for non Chinese speaking children: Click here (PDF)

New arrivals

The EDB also provides education and support for so-called NACs (Newly Arrived Children). These may be children from the Chinese mainland or non-Chinese speaking children from overseas.

Children may be offered free induction programmes, which may take place within a school or separate from it.

Pre-primary education/kindergartens

Compulsory schooling starts at age six. However, many younger children attend kindergartens. Essentially these are for three to five year olds.

All kindergartens must be registered with the EMB who make periodic checks. Voluntary organisations or private bodies may run them. The government offers financial assistance in various forms including rent and rates reimbursement, funding of training for staff and providing some purpose-built premises. In certain cases fees are reimbursed to parents with low incomes.

Teaching staff and principals must reach minimum standards of training. The size of schools may vary, but there is a high staff-to-pupil ratio. The emphasis is on learning through play and creative activities both individually and in groups. Children are also taught about personal health issues such as hygiene, eating and resting.

See the Education Bureau website for a free parental booklet on Kindergartens. The English Schools Foundation operates three kindergartens.

• See The AngloFILE for Nursery Schools, Creche & Kindergarten

Primary education

Primary education officially starts at age six and consists of six years of compulsory schooling. Children may attend in the morning, afternoon or all day. The Government is trying to encourage more schools to adopt whole-day attendance. However, because of the lack of space and the number of students, many primary schools in Hong Kong are split into morning and afternoon schools to handle the demand. It is common for the two streams to function as separate school entities with two headmasters and different sets of teachers and staff who merely share the same school premises and facilities. As one group of pupils leaves at midday the next group arrives. To ensure that the necessary work is covered students are often required to go to school on alternate Saturdays.

Primary education in Hong Kong covers a wide curriculum. Core subjects include Chinese, English, and mathematics. Other basic subjects include social studies, sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), and health education (or "General Studies"), music, physical education, and art and craft. At the end of their primary schooling children take tests to determine their band in secondary school (schools are currently divided into three bands according to their academic standards. There is on-going debate about whether or not this banding system is fair).

Education in government-run and government-aided schools is free of charge. All eligible children will be allocated a place at one of these schools. The enrolment procedure is quite complicated. Parents are equally entitled to apply for a place for their child at a private school.

Increasingly, Chinese is the main teaching language with English being taught as a second language. Nevertheless, English is still the main teaching language at most international schools.

The English Schools Foundation operates ten primary schools in Hong Kong which are not free but are cheaper than private schools.

• For more information see the ESF website

Secondary education

Junior Secondary Education for three years (from age 12 to 15) is compulsory and free of charge at government or government-assisted schools. It begins with Form One or Secondary One. General subjects are taught, with little specialisation. Pupils are banded before entry to secondary school as a result of tests undertaken in primary school. Single-sex schools are common at this level.

Following the first three years of general education, there may be two years of Senior Secondary Education, which is subsidised. All schools charge the same fees for these extra years' schooling. Children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds can receive help to allow them to continue studying.

Here (in Form Four or Secondary Four) students tend to specialise more with a focus on arts, sciences or more commercial subjects. Students study for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) which they sit at the end of Form Five and then if studies continue, for the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) at the end of Form Seven. This is their entrance requirement for higher education.

However, all this is set to change in 2009 with a new Diploma. The new system will allow all students to take advantage of six years (three years Junior Secondary and three years Senior Secondary) of secondary education.

The English Schools Federation operates a number of secondary schools where teaching is in English.

• For details see the ESF website

International schools rarely enter their pupils for the Hong Kong diplomas. Instead they favour the national examinations of their own country.

Higher education

There is a high demand for well-trained employees in Hong Kong and China and as a result the government has been introducing measures to encourage students to continue in further education. Hong Kong currently has 12 higher-education establishments which can award degrees. They include both traditional universities and other colleges of higher education. Distance learning and joint-university degree programmes are available at many of these universities.

Most degree courses for first degrees are three or four years long.

• See The AngloFILE for University, Higher Education & MBA

Finding a School and Enrolling a Pupil

Enrolling at a private school

Attendance at a private, fee-paying school requires that an application be made directly to the school.

• For details and links to many schools: Click here

Many of the schools have websites giving details of their policies and credentials; application policies vary between schools. Private international school may is a favoured option for families with English speaking children staying in Hong Kong short-term. It is important to bear in mind that many of the international schools have long waiting lists. The purchase of debentures (corporate or personal) is often suggested to secure a place at these schools.

Alternatively, the English Schools Foundation operates a number of schools at all levels and places are allocated by catchment area. Approach them directly for application procedures:

• English Schools Foundation
  At: 43B Stubbs Road, Hong Kong
  Tel: 2574 2351
  Fax: 2838 0957
  e-mail
  Website

Enrolling at a government-run school

The application procedure for government-run or government-funded schools depends on the age of the child.

At primary level any child aged over five years and eight months is entitled to apply via the central admission system, known as Primary One Admission. Parents fill in an application form and indicate their choice of schools in order of preference. The EMB then makes the allocation of places. There is strong competition for the best schools.

• For information about available schools: Click here

At secondary level there is also a centralised admission system - the Secondary School Places Allocation system, introduced in 2000. Students are allocated a school place based on their grades in three examinations (the second term in Primary Five, the first and second terms of Primary Six). This then puts each child into a band which in turn determines what school a child will be offered a place at. 

For entry during Primary or Secondary education or part way through an academic year contact the EDB for advice.

Enrolment requirements

Anyone wishing to enrol their child in a government or government-funded school will be asked to complete an application form.

• For details of schools with vacancies and application procedures: Click here

Bring a report from the most recent place of study giving details of the child's achievements and any academic certificates obtained to date. Some schools require a medical examination or medical questionnaire before admission. 

• For general recommendations on vaccinations for Hong Kong consult a medical practitioner before departure or: Click here
• For the current recommended immunisation programme for children from the Family Health Service website: Click here

After-school arrangements

Not all primary schools offer full-day education for their pupils. There is a limited amount of after-school childcare available in Hong Kong. Domestic helpers are particularly common among the expatriate community and often double up as childminders.

The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children provides and manages some centres for after-school care for primary age children

• Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children
  Tel: 2381 2315
  Fax: 2381 2397
  e-mail
  Website

The Children and Youth Social Service in Hong Kong also provides after-school care and facilities as do some schools and religious bodies. There are also sports clubs either run by schools or independently. 

• For information, see the Leisure and Cultural Services Department website: Click here

International Schools

For anyone planning only a short stay in Hong Kong these may prove the best choice. The government actively welcomes international schools and there are currently over 50 in Hong Kong.

International schools allow for children to continue their education along similar lines to those they would have followed in their country of origin. At English-speaking international schools (British, American, Australian and so on) teaching is generally in English and students rarely sit the Hong Kong public exams. Instead they sit English GCSEs or A levels, International Baccalaureates or US SATs. But this need not prevent them gaining entry to a university in Hong Kong.

• For more information and a list of international schools, see the International Schools Worldwide website: Click here

Each has its own admissions policy, application requirements and deadlines but all usually require students to sit an entrance examination or at least to provide reports from their last place of study. Medical histories and vaccination records are also required by many schools.

It is advisable for future residents of Hong Kong to book places for their children in an international school before arrival in Hong Kong.

Children with Special Needs

Anyone with concerns about their child should consult the Social Welfare Department.

Wherever possible children with special educational needs or disabilities are catered for within mainstream education. Even at kindergarten level, attempts are made to integrate disabled children. Children with learning difficulties tend to be supported in mainstream schools with intensive teaching.

Hong Kong has over 60 special schools catering for children with visual and hearing impairment as well as those with physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities. Some work alongside ordinary schools and all are government supported.

The English Schools Foundation operates its own special school where teaching is in English.

• See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Special Needs in Hong Kong

School Holidays

As well as public holidays, schools in Hong Kong have a number of breaks. Please note the dates can vary from year to year. There is also some variation between districts and between government schools and international schools.

The academic year in Hong Kong begins in August or September for all schools and extends into June or July of the next year with the last day of school varying between different schools. A typical school usually has four main holidays - the Christmas Holidays, the Chinese New Year Holidays, the Easter Holidays and the Summer Holiday.

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page, School Holidays in Hong Kong
• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page, Public Holidays in Hong Kong

Further Information

• Hong Kong in brief: Government website
• British Consulate-General Hong Kong
• Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong & Macau
• Hong Kong Schools Network for HK International Schools