Compulsory Education Age
9 years of compulsory education is required, generally from 6–15 year of age.
Legal Status
Although Hong Kong’s Education Ordinance (L.N. 116 of 1971, Ch. 279) requires school attendance, several families have gained ‘exemptions’ to homeschool. Homeschooling is not illegal, but it is not a preferred alternative to schooling by the government, hence it doesn’t provide a formal channel for parents to apply. However, the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) will review each ‘application’ (enquiry) on a case-by-case basis.
Our experience tells us that the EDB handles expatriates the same way as nationals. There is an estimate of 50–100 homeschool families, a number that is hard to confirm. There is an increasing number of parents who choose not to send their children
to kindergarten (aged 3–6), and we believe that there are older homeschooled children as a result. A local parent-initiated charity, EDiversity, published
a book written by 14 local and expatriate homeschool families in 2015. They published an updated version in late 2019.
Contact Information
Hong Kong Homeschool
Website: www.homeschool.hk
EDiversity
A parent-initiated charity in Hong Kong promoting diversity and choice in education in Hong Kong.
Contact: Cam Cheung, Founder and CEO
Email: cam@edversity.org
Additional Resources
'Twisted, inhuman system fails our children': why Hong Kong parents homeschool their kids (South China Morning Post)
These families don't mince their words about Hong Kong's traditional mainstream education. They, and more like them, are opting to teach their children themselves.
Don't Ask, Do(n't) Tell: Homeschooling in Hong Kong
This research article by Esther Erlings sets out the background, legal framework, and homeschooling practice in Hong Kong.