Reasonably priced Expat school in Hk ? is there such a thing

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  1. #11

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    I think ESF is the cheapest expat school you can find in Hong Kong. That is if your kids are in primary or secondary school. Well, hang on. There's another one.... Gigamind in Tin Shui Wai. A friend of mine sends her son there and he loves it there. I think fees are 4k per month and housing there's cheap compared to the rest of Hong Kong.

    You have more options with kindergartens. Many of the local international schools offer an "international stream", where only English and Mandarin are taught. Fees will then be around 2-3.5k per month.


  2. #12

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    housing in tin shui wai is cheap because it is one of the poorest areas in hk. many of the new mainland immigrants live there and there are lots of social problems in the area.


  3. #13

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    Carang, funnily enough I said the same thing to my friend who sends her son there. Her reply was, "The school fees are 4k+ a month. how many low income earners are able to afford this?"
    And she tells me that a lot of his classmates are expatriates living in Fairview Park and luxury estates around Yuen Long AND the local parents are well-off.
    I have not been to the school though.


  4. #14

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    i'm sure she's correct, fairfiew park isn't too far away. i just don't think i would want to live in tin shui wai with my kids.


  5. #15

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    When the OP says $280,000 for 3 kids, I assume you are talking about the Australian school. I know their fees are about $92k per kid this year. But also dont forget there is a $12k annual capital levy to pay as well (or a silly 'depreciating debenture' that costs $100k and depreciates at $12k per year. why bother???)

    My kids going to the Aussie school but only because the company is paying. If they weren't, I would go to one of the ESF schools which are government subsidised.


  6. #16

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    The Aussie School is expensive. I think you would not have a problem dropping the bill closer to 210K, but not sure if that solves the original problem.


  7. #17

    Thanks for the Feedback everyone. I'm starting to think the only way around the expense of the schooling for the 3 boys is going to definitely need to be negotiated with the salary package. As I said I'm not looking for a elite private school....they just go to an average private school here in OZ (only about AUD8,000 per year for all three !) but given that the teachers in the HK International schools themselves are most likey expats it's totally understandable they need to charge these fees.


  8. #18

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    It's really tough!

    Hi,
    Although I'm writing from outside HK at present, I want to help you because I lived in HK for over 14+ years, and it was like going through a clothes-mangle regarding finding an affordable school for our now 14year old. My husband had to take a local rate salary about five years ago, and so our son went to a local english-medium local school. We couldn't afford the ESF schools, which now have a long waiting list too. He attended the local school for three years, but continued not to do well. He was average at Primary, but became below-average at this school. His standard of written and spoken english went downwards, because the level of spoken english was not that of a native speaker-level. He didn't have enough command of Mandarin or Cantonese, which would be some compensation. I hated to be in a position whereby we were a minority, with local kids with bilingual abilities having more future opportunities available to them in HK than our son, a HK permanent resident. I know, I'm letting off steam here, but our experience shows you the alternative to the ESF/ International school route. PLEASE NOTE Maths ability is a high priority amongst local HK families and their children. They practice mental arithmetic to a much higher level than western children. Universities in the UK welcome HK students because of their renowned strong Maths skills. I just feel that HK society feels less and less any obligation to provide reasonably priced secondary education for expat kids. On the other hand, well-oof westerners and their teaching community also hike up the prices to retain some cheap "exclusiveness". One school in DB states their school hours as "business hours". Since when is a school a business? Only in Hong Kong, where your home is also run on business lines. So, good luck with your move! You will need it. According to local folk-lore 6 or 8 is lucky, no doubt some cynical tourist-shop owner will offer you something like that-with a smile for free.