Rising Concerns Over Non-Local Student Enrollment in Hong Kong International Schools
Recent reports have highlighted a growing concern regarding the enrollment of non-local students in international schools across Hong Kong. According to the Education Bureau, some institutions have seen their non-local student ratios drop significantly below the required targets, raising questions about compliance and long-term strategies.
Eight international school operators, including the English Schools Foundation (ESF), which is the city’s largest group, have failed to meet their commitments to the government. This has led to a breach of their admission pledges for the current academic year. The ESF, while acknowledging its efforts to increase the proportion of “non-local passport holders” since the end of the pandemic, has noted that it may take several years to return to mandated levels.
The Education Bureau shared with the South China Morning Post that the proportion of non-local students at some schools has fallen to as low as 39 percent this academic year, compared to the required range of 50 to 98 percent. This decline underscores a broader trend in the sector, particularly as local student numbers have risen significantly over the past decade.
Trends in International School Enrollments
Official data from the bureau reveals that 44,745 students are enrolled in international schools for the 2025-26 academic year. Among them, a record 15,142 are local pupils, making up 34 percent of the total student body. This represents a substantial increase from 7,713 local pupils in 2016-17, when they accounted for 20 percent of the student population.
The current proportion of local students is the fourth-highest in the past decade. The peak of 34.9 percent occurred in 2023-24, reflecting admission cycles that began during the pandemic. Conversely, the number of non-local students has slightly declined over the same period, from 30,044 in 2016-17 to 29,603 in 2025-26. Their share of the student body fell from 80 percent to 66 percent.
Seven international schools and the ESF fell short of government admission requirements this year, an increase from the previous five. These schools are required to cater to non-local families living in or relocating to Hong Kong for work or investment. Many are bound by service agreements with the government that outline specific student mix requirements.
Compliance and Consequences
In the 2025-26 academic year, international schools bound by service agreements must maintain a non-local student ratio between 50 and 98 percent. However, seven schools failed to meet these requirements, with non-local students accounting for only 39 to 64 percent of their total enrollments. The ESF, for instance, must ensure that at least 70 percent of its total student population is non-local. In recent years, the proportion of non-local students at the foundation was 65.1 percent and 66.1 percent respectively.
The Education Bureau has written to the relevant schools, reminding them to comply with admission ratios and urging corrective action. The bureau emphasized that schools with service contracts must adhere to their agreements. It also stated that it will follow up on any breaches and reserves the right to terminate or decline to renew service contracts, or even reclaim school premises and land.
Historical Context and Challenges
This is not the first time schools have missed these targets. In 2023, education authorities disclosed that four schools in 2021-22 and five in 2022-23, as well as the ESF, failed to meet the required student mix. Similar reminders were issued at the time. Lawmakers previously criticized the “warning letters,” arguing they carried little weight if schools faced no real consequences. However, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin maintained that such breaches would be considered when assessing contract renewals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the bureau exercised discretion to relax non-local admission requirements, as many expats returned to their home countries. This arrangement ended in the 2024-25 academic year and no longer applies in 2025-26.
Future Outlook
An ESF spokesman acknowledged that it will take a few years to reach the required admission level but noted that measures already in place have led to a one percentage point increase from last year. He reiterated the foundation’s commitment to meeting its obligations to the Education Bureau and the wider government. The ESF has been increasing the proportion of non-local passport holders since the end of the pandemic, with systems and processes in place to ensure a return to required levels as quickly as possible.
He added that the foundation is working its way back from the difficulties of the pandemic. According to the ESF, applications from non-local passport holders are now given priority and processed first. However, as local students admitted during the pandemic will remain in the system for several years, it will take time to fully rebalance the numbers.
