Schools hike fees up to 10pc

Adelyn Lau

Diocesan Girls' School has increased its tuition fee by five percent to HK$40,000, marking its first hike in 19 years.

In contrast, St Paul's Co-educational College has implemented the highest increase, raising tuition fees by 10 percent to nearly HK$80,000.

This decision followed the Education Bureau's approval of tuition fee hike applications from 53 direct subsidy scheme schools across the city, which represents nearly 76 percent of the total.

The average increase of 4.76 percent is said to be the highest in the past five years.

Diocesan Girls' School said it has been permitted to raise its annual tuition to HK$40,000 from HK$38,000 - the first fee rise since it began operating under the direct subsidy scheme in 2005.

Pupils at St Paul's Co-educational College will now be charged inflated fees of HK$79,700 for the 2024/25 school year.

As of this month, the city has 70 schools - including 49 secondary, 12 primary, and nine secondary-cum-primary - operating under the direct subsidy scheme, according to the Education Bureau.

"When approving fee adjustment applications from direct-subsidy schools, the bureau carefully examined their justifications and the financial budgets submitted," it said.

Also, the bureau endorsed fee adjustment applications from 73 private schools, with an average increase of 5.36 percent.

Among the 65 applications from international schools, only one was not approved, resulting in an average increase of 4.53 percent across the 64 approved international schools.

Meanwhile, the median tuition fee for 705 kindergartens under the bureau's kindergarten education scheme is said to have slightly increased to HK$998 per semester, remaining low according to the bureau. On average, subsidized kindergartens are now charging 6.17 percent, or HK$58 more than the previous school year.

The bureau said around 90 percent of the city's half-day kindergartens are prepared to waive tuition fees for the 2024/25 school year. However, full-day or long full-day programs will require parents to cover some additional fees.

Under the kindergarten education scheme, fee ceilings for half-day and full-day classes in the 2024/25 school year are set at HK$11,690 and HK$30,390, respectively, after deducting the government subsidy.