The (s, which are all located across
Hong Kong . It is the largest international educational
Foundation in
Asia and was founded in
1967 as a direct result of an
Ordinance that started the foundation to provide a "modern liberal education" for
Expatriate s in Hong Kong. Today, the majority of students are local
Hongkongers although there is a sizable expatriate community, with students coming from over 55 different nationalities. Its schools have traditionally provided a curriculum based on the English system, but the organisation is undergoing a transition to a more international curriculum from the
International Baccalaureate Organization , starting with a switch for the Year 12 and 13 programme from the British
GCE A-Levels to the
International Baccalaureate Diploma from September 2007.
The foundation receives an ongoing subsidy (called the "subvention") from the
Hong Kong Government as well as charging a substantial tuition fee to parents. In the 2006-2007 academic year, these fees stand at
HK$ 51,200 per annum for
Primary School Students and HK$82,600 per annum for
Secondary School Students . These fees represent increases of 8.9% for Primary and 5.1% for Secondary compared to the previous school year (2006-2007) after several years without any change in the fee levels.
Although all of the ESF schools are comprehensive and non-selective, students in the foundation have traditionally done well academically, with many secondary school graduates going to top universities around the world.
Many, however, have criticised the foundation's apparent unwillingness to spend large sums of its own money on facilities in schools, instead relying on fundraisers organised by parents of students through the
PTA . Nonetheless, the schools have progressively improved their facilities, especially in
ICT .
Unlike most other international schools in Hong Kong, schools run by the ESF receive an ongoing subsidy (called a 'subvention') from the
Hong Kong Government . The reason for this is historical and lies in the foundation's statutory basis. Until recently, it was generally accepted that this subsidy was fair and that the foundation had a reason to be subsidised.
More recently events have stirred up controversy regarding subsidies to the foundation. The fiscal deficit suffered by the
Hong Kong Government following the
Asian Financial Crisis forced the government to cut costs. There were also allegations that the foundation has misused funds on entertainment and over-extravagant recruitment procedures. A report criticising the ESF's use of funds was published by the
Hong Kong Government in November 2004, resulting in a continuing debate about whether the subsidy should be cut or even suspended. The subvention has been cut for each of the last few years in line with a general reduction in government expenditure.
Those who argue for the subsidy to be reduced further or stopped put forward several arguments:
- Other international schools are not subsidised, it is not fair that the ESF should be subsidised.
- The subvention allows the ESF to charge lower fees and pay higher salaries to teachers than other international schools. This creates unfair competition.
- Most students in ESF schools could attend other schools and so do not need a government subsidy.
- The ESF has been criticized for its governance and extravagance, which has caused many to question whether the public's money is being used correctly.
Those in favour of keeping the subsidy argue that:
- Students of ESF schools should be allowed the same subsidy that is provided to students of schools in "local" schools. Without the subsidy, some parents could not afford the higher fees and their children would be forced to leave the ESF system.
- English is an official language of the HKSAR and there is only limited provision for English language education outside the ESF.
- The style of education is superior to that in "local" schools. Although the government also has the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) to provide funding to schools which operate more independently than typical local schools, most DSS schools were formerly top-tier local schools and continue to offer the local curriculum.
The ESF has recently addressed concerns about governance by putting forward a new
Ordinance that will change the way the organization operates.
It is generally accepted that the government will not allow the ESF to expand any further under the existing subsidy arrangements. Future ESF schools will have to be under the "Private Independent School" scheme with no "subvention". One (
Renaissance College ) opened in
Ma On Shan in August 2006 and there are plans for another in
Discovery Bay .
See Also: List of English Schools Foundation schools
