Hong Kong steps up scrutiny of private schools

Hong Kong’s private schools could be ordered to cease operating or have their registration revoked if their management is deemed unsatisfactory under new guidelines issued by education authorities. The Education Bureau released a code of practice on Friday for private primary and secondary schools, following reports of poor management – including some allegedly offering unauthorised courses and collecting fees from parents without approval. The document said the bureau might issue an advisory or warning letter to private schools that breached the code. It would also consider previous cases of non-compliance when operators sought its approval for applications for registrations, government subsidies, and fee revisions and collections. “If the management of a school is unsatisfactory, the permanent secretary for education may direct the school to take remedial measures,” the paper said. “If the situation is serious, the permanent secretary for education may order the school to cease operations and/or cancel the registration or provisional registration of the school.” The bureau stressed that it would follow up seriously on private schools involved in non-compliance issues or illegal acts. The document set out basic requirements for good practices and would be used as a “reference basis” for school inspections, the bureau said. It added that compliance with the code would be deemed an important factor in assessing a school’s overall performance. The 65-page code of practice prohibits private schools from collaborating with other entities in offering a formal curriculum, including public examination courses, without approval. It also said the school should not “charge any fees whatsoever other than the inclusive fees” as printed on the fee certificate, and could not change its annual school fees without permission. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said the code would help boost the quality of private schools, aiding the city’s drive to become an international education hub. She said in a social media post that the government would continue to enhance the code, stepping up private schools’ education quality and accountability. Choi added that representatives of the private school sector had a positive response to the code, which provided clear guidelines for operators. The code was issued four months after city leader John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy blueprint last September that the governance of private schools would be stepped up. That month, the licence of the privately run Tsung Tsin Middle School was revoked after it was accused of collaborating with a mainland Chinese tutorial centre to provide unauthorised public exam courses. The bureau also suspended another private institution, Inno Secondary School, last August after it allegedly collaborated with a third party to enable students outside Hong Kong to qualify for subsidised university programmes. Three months later, the school’s principal and a director were arrested for allegedly collecting HK$1.8 million (US$232,000) in fees from several parents without approval.