Hong Kong ESF to Raise School Fees by 5.8% to Compete for Staff

Tuition fees for students attending English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong will rise by an average 5.8% in the coming academic year.

(Bloomberg) — Tuition fees for students attending English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong will rise by an average 5.8% in the coming academic year.

The increase will help ESF compete for staff in a competitive environment, ESF Chief Executive Belinda Greer said in a letter to parents published on the company’s website. The foundation froze fees for two years and increased them by 2.8% for the current academic year, she said.

The foundation system, which is subsidized in part by the government, includes more than 18,000 students enrolled at 22 schools. Hong Kong schools were repeatedly closed by the government during the pandemic, forcing students to do home learning.

Other international schools are also hiking fees, according to letters sent to parents. Hong Kong International School raised its tuition and capital levy by 3% for the next academic year, while International Montessori School lifted fees by as much as 5.1%.

Greer said some extra compulsory charges would be folded into tuition fees, meaning the actual average increase will be 4.9%.

Years 1-6 will see the biggest overall increase of 5.96%, the statement showed.

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