Hong Kong’s reputation as Asia's main financial hub is under threat due to its lack of places at international schools.
The number of expats moving to the former British colony has surged in the last two years as Europe’s struggling economies have sent talent eastbound. While there may be a good supply of top jobs, in banking, fund management and financial services, the same cannot be said for international schools.
During 2010 and 2011, the number of British expats moving to Hong Kong jumped more than 50 per cent, to 15,300. This is about half of the number of American expats relocating to the city, who are putting further pressure on good international schools.
Some Hong Kong-bound expats have now delayed or cancelled moves because they can’t get their children in good preschool, primary or secondary international schools. Hong Kong Academy, a private international school, saw a 35 per cent rise in applications last year.
While there has been a massive upsurge in demand, the number of places at English-speaking international schools has stayed relatively constant at 36,000.
A spokesperson from the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, said: “It is a fact that there now exists a shortage of places in international schools in Hong Kong and that this has been a fact for the past decade and a half, but it is a measure of the dramatic success of Hong Kong as one of the world's leading trade and financial centres.”
The Hong Kong government takes the problem seriously and wants to create 5,000 new international school places this year and again in 2013. It also plans to limit the number of local students who can be enrolled in some international schools in the future.
Two new British international schools will open this year, Harrow International School and Kellett, to help ease the pressure but, like most things in Hong Kong, the problem boils down to lack of space. Land is at a premium among the glittering skyscrapers and developers would rather build exclusive apartments than schools.
The situation has got to the stage where some expats have considered moving to Hong Kong’s main rival Singapore, where places at top international schools are slightly easier to find. The opening of Dulwich College in Singapore and Marlborough College in nearby Johor Bahru this summer will make the city even more appealing to expats and their families.
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