Govt Watchdog To Probe System For School Fee Hikes

The Ombudsman Connie Lau on Tuesday said her office is going to investigate how officials handle requests for approving school fee increases, saying she is worried the Education Bureau may not have adequate procedures in place.

Lau said 147 private, international, or direct subsidy scheme schools were given approval to raise their fees for the current academic year, with some charging more than HK$200,000.

There are concerns that the bureau’s approval mechanism is lax and lacks transparency, such that schools can easily get the approval, she said.

"If schools are at liberty to unreasonably hike their school fees year after year, that would bring about a heavy financial burden for parents to bear," the Ombudsman said.

"We are, therefore, very concerned about whether the [bureau] has in place a sufficiently strict mechanism and proper procedures for approving applications for school fee revisions."

Lau said the probe will also look into how the bureau is regulating school fees collected by schools.

Members of the public have been invited to give their views to the Ombudsman.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said the Education Bureau has strict criteria when it comes to vetting changes in school fees and the system is reviewed regularly.

Yeung said the bureau will fully cooperate with the Ombudsman's investigation.