Harrow International School (HIS), one of the world's most prestigious boarding schools, revealed Tuesday its plans to build a Hong Kong campus. It will be the first international boarding school in Hong Kong.

"The government is committed to supporting the development of a vibrant international school sector in Hong Kong to underpin our aspiration to be Asia's world city and a regional education hub," said Permanent Secretary for Education Raymond Wong when meeting the Headmaster of HIS in the UK, Barnaby Lenon, and several other school officials Tuesday.

"With the establishment and operation of Harrow Hong Kong in Tuen Mun, I believe that we can attract more students from different parts of the world to study in Hong Kong and provide a new impetus for international boarding education in the diversified school sector," Wong added.

At the press conference, the Chief Operating Officer of HIS, Mark Hensman, pointed out six advantages that will arise from HIS's move into Hong Kong. It will strengthen an already solid relationship between Harrow and Hong Kong. It will bring boarding schools into the international context in Hong Kong. Students and teachers will enjoy the unique sense of identity and belonging to one of the world's best known schools, he said. Harrow's plan is to provide a full range of sporting and performance facilities as part of its innovative structural design. It will also offer Harrow's distinctive approach to learning leadership skills in a school context, Hensman concluded.

Asked why Harrow is keen to establish a school in Hong Kong, Lenon says HIS is committed to a belief in the educational value of international links. "We have discovered that working with other countries and other cultures can help develop racial and religious understanding," he noted, adding that HIS authorities believe in the virtue of internationalism. He said he perceived Hong Kong as an economic center, thus a wonderful place to establish a leading school.

Besides striving for academic excellence, the school attaches equal importance to extra-curricular activities. Students will be able to participate in sports, music, drama, arts and community services, all of which, he said, helps to build team spirit and leadership skills.

Lenon added that boarding is a convenience for parents who have full-time employment. "It does nothing to diminish the quality of family life. It does remove the burden of having the trouble of traveling to and from school," he said.

In terms of helping Hong Kong to become a regional education hub, Hensman thinks HIS offers a good fit. He said it will bring diversity to the education environment and gives people options they don't currently have. Hensman also acknowledges that more infrastructures will be needed to turn Hong Kong into an education hub. The more schools that operate in the city, the more infrastructure it will require to support them, he said.

Fees details will be announced in August 2011. Hensman said the fees would be comparable to the top international schools in Hong Kong. To assist students who cannot afford tuition fees, the school will continue Harrow's tradition of providing scholarships and bursaries. Those will be available to about 10 percent of the students.

The school will open in August of 2012 with an enrolment of 1,200 primary and secondary students. HIS intends eventually to increase enrolment to 1,500 students, with half of the student body coming from Hong Kong. The school will begin recruitment in the second half of 2011.

Harrow has a list of prominent alumni, including seven British Prime Ministers such as Winston Churchill and members of the royal family. Harrow established its first international branch in Bangkok in 1998 and another in Beijing in 2005, both operated by Harrow Asia.

China Daily

(HK Edition 04/14/2010 page1)