Paying your way to your kids education?

It was only a while ago English Schools Foundation (ESF), organizer of 19 international schools in HK announced that they will be raising the tuition fees again, and today local elite school Saint Stephen's Girls' College (SSGC) announced that they plan to switch to direct subsidy.


ESF is making the increment because the government is phasing out the subvention to support them and they wish to maintain the quality education provided. While SSGC justifies their change as a way to preserve their heritage and ethos.

The question I would like to pose here is: Why has,does and will our education system support the seclusion of poor diligent students to allow rich brats to a better education and easier route to success? If we are to leverage HK's education system to international standards, we should start thinking about questions like this. Which raises the ancient question of why students are allocated into schools based on where they live (how well-off they are).

There is on average only 18% of local high school graduates(from elite schools) that are accepted into a local subsidized university. Are the remaining 82% not as hardworking as the elite or international school kids who are ensured of a quality tertiary education? Most definitely not. But it is the flawed system that dooms the future of the 88% remainders. And now they are saying the price tag of this shortcut to success is even heftier? That the fairy tale of pursuing one's dream and passion is even more treacherous? That says a lot about the so-called educators at ESF and SSGC as well as the government. But then again why wouldn't they? They are preserving their own breed.

In all fairness, not all elite or international school kids are brats, I have met aplenty that are not. But would I say the majority is brattier the remaining kids? Probably yes. Is it the kids fault? Definitely not. Is it the system's fault? I would say yes. How then could we rectify this? Well, I have at least done my part of reiterating this age old problem. The rest is really up to the people at the top to have a conscience.
And as teachers and parents, we should educate our kids to never stop dreaming and to fight the system, because I have seen cases, of the less privileged making their way in the world, because they have the perserverance and faith it takes.