Land boost for three schools－576953369

Apr 12 Fri 2013 16:53
Land boost for three schools

Three education groups granted vacant school premises to develop into international schools will only be able to provide one-fourth of school places needed by the expatriate community.

The schools are International Montessori Education Foundation, Carmel School Association and the Nord Anglia Education Hong Kong.

They will take over the premises in Stanley, Shau Kei Wan and Lam Tin, respectively.

Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim said around 1,150 primary places and 210 secondary places will be provided before the 2016/17 school year as a result.

With just 1,360 places, this is still far short of the estimated shortage of 4,203 international primary school places in the 2016/17 school year amid the growing demand from expatriate and local families.

The government received applications from 34 organizations.

Among the three sites, the Stanley plot is the biggest at 4,730 square meters, with 4,860 square meters of internal floor area.

International Montessori Education Foundation said it is happy to be granted the premises and that it will expand its primary school network, with capacity for 750 students to open in 2013-14.

"Stanley campus has been granted to us by the government as an expansion site, to primarily serve families living in the southern catchment area, where a significant number of our applications come from," the school said.

The Shau Kei Wan site is 3,380 square meters, with 4,040 square meters of internal floor area. Carmel School Association said its secondary school section, Elsa High School, is occupying the Shau Kei Wan premises with another school on a temporary lease.

Carmel will occupy the premises on a permanent basis after August next year.

Nord Anglia Education has been awarded a 660-place school in Kowloon with an area of 4,554 square meters. Its new international school will open in September 2014.

The vacant premises were previously occupied by HKCCGA Cheng Jack Yiu School in Stanley, St Mark's School in Shau Kei Wan and Sing Yin Secondary School in Kwun Tong.