September 29, 2023
HONG KONG – Hong Kong parents are set to pay higher tuition fees in the coming school year after about three-quarters of the 71 Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools were granted permission to increase their fees, marking an average surge of 4 percent – the highest in nearly four years.
Forty-nine government-funded schools, 72 private schools, and 66 international schools submitted applications for fee adjustments this academic year, according to the Education Bureau in a written reply to a request by China Daily.
DSS schools will see an average fee increase of 4.09 percent, while private schools will raise their fees by around 5.41 percent. International schools are expected to increase tuition fees by 4.5 percent.
Seven applications were rejected, most of them from international schools.
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St Paul’s Convent School (Secondary Section), a prestigious DSS school, was allowed a 20 percent hike in tuition fees, amounting to a total of HK$30,000 ($3,830) per year – the highest for all the schools this year.
Following closely behind, Diocesan Boys’ School Primary Division was permitted a 15 percent price hike, setting the annual tuition fee for the new academic year at HK$53,140.
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There will be no change to fees for most kindergartens. Under the current arrangement, 90 percent of the kindergartens participating in the Kindergarten Education Scheme will be free for parents, with the Hong Kong SAR government’s subsidy.