Hong Kong

Education is compulsory and free for the local Cantonese speaking population until the age of 15 years. Very few expatriates send their children to the local schools as the need to speak, read and write Cantonese at home as well as at school precludes most.

There are a number of International schools that provide a service for their expatriate community e.g .American, Australian, Canadian, French, German-Swiss, Korean and Japanese. Some of these schools also offer an English stream which runs along side their own national curriculum and can be suitable for English speaking children with no prior knowledge of another language.

Most of these schools offer a debenture system. The debenture is used to fund the schools capital and maintenance costs and can be redeemed, without interest, once the child leaves the school.

One of the biggest providers of International style education is the English Schools Foundation (ESF). Set up in 1967 they now have 18 schools in their system. They have 5 secondary schools, 9 primary schools, 2 kindergartens and one school for special needs children. There are currently 55 different nationalities within the schools and they employ 680 teachers.

As ESF schools are regionally zoned you cannot have a placement confirmed for your child until you arrive in Hong Kong, become a resident and your child has been interviewed.

All schools will try their best to accommodate your child but due to a large influx of expatriates in 2001 some schools have waiting lists. We would always advise early contact with the schools of your choice.

Note
[P]=primary (5-11 years) / [S]=secondary (11-18)
Most schools listed are 5-18 unless stated otherwise
ESF=English Schools Foundation

American International School
125 Waterloo Road
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Hong Kong
T: (852) 2336-3812
F: (852) 2336-5276
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Australian International School Hong Kong
3A Norfolk Road
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Hong Kong
T: (852) 2304-6078
F: (852) 2304-6077
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ESF Bauhinia Primary School
Wah Yiu Road
Lai Yiu Estate
Kwai Chung
New Territories
Hong Kong
T: (852) 2624-4110
F: (852) 2624-4225
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Beacon Hill School (ESF) (Primary)
23 Ede Road
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Hong Kong
T: (852) 2336-5221
F: (852) 2338-7895
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