This undated photo shows the Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong at Kowloon Tong in the city. (PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE SCHOOL’S WEBSITE)
HONG KONG – Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network Limited has secured a site near the border in its bid to become the first institution in Hong Kong to offer mainland curriculum.
The Education Bureau announced on Thursday that the international school chain has been selected as the most suitable applicant for the establishment of a non-profit-making private school offering mainland curriculum on a greenfield site in Tin Shui Wai in the Yuen Long district.
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Expected to commence operation in the 2026/27 school year at the earliest, the school will offer about 900 mainland curriculum primary and secondary school places in phases, the EDB said in a statement.
Yew Chung will work towards offering 12 years of primary and secondary mainland curriculum education, said the EDB
“With the vibrant development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong's commitment in promoting the interflow of talent with the mainland and creating strong impetus for growth, it is expected the demand from mainland families in Hong Kong for mainland curriculum school places will rise,” an EDB spokesman said.
“The establishment of a school offering mainland curriculum will address such a demand in a timely manner."
Yew Chung will work towards offering 12 years of primary and secondary mainland curriculum education, according to the EDB statement.
The majority of the students enrolled shall be non-local students, it added.
The EDB had allocated the site via an open and competitive bidding mechanism under the School Allocation Committee. Eight applications were received after organizations were invited to express interest in July 2021, said the spokesman.
This map shows the Tin Shui Wai greenfield site where Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network will establish a new school with mainland curriculum. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
The Committee comprising both non-official members and government officials had assessed the applications by taking into account a host of factors, including the experience and expertise of the operator in running the mainland curriculum, organization structure, proper governance and sound financial footing, and quality of its school proposal, added the spokesman.
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Currently, there are over 50 international schools offering different non-local curricula, enabling children whose parents come to Hong Kong for work or investment to study in the city and then continue their studies in local schools upon return to their hometowns. Such schools play an instrumental role in attracting and retaining talent and investment, according the EDB.