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Hong Kong student enrollment at UK private schools drops after VAT
UK private schools said overseas pupil numbers fell 7.0%, from 61,750 to 57,214, after the mid-year VAT change on fees took full effect.
Hong Kong student numbers at UK private schools fell sharply after Britain imposed a 20.0% VAT on school fees, according to SCMP Economy. The UK schools sector reported total enrolment down 17.0% and new admissions down 26.0% for Hong Kong students, with the latest figures reflecting the full impact of the tax introduced midway through the previous academic year.
An annual census by the UK Independent Schools Council, cited by SCMP Economy, showed overseas pupil numbers declined 7.0%, from 61,750 to 57,214. The survey, conducted each January, captured the policy’s effects after it began mid-academic year.
SCMP Economy also reported that a student recruitment consultant said enrolment levels for Hong Kong had returned to those seen before the earlier Hong Kong emigration wave, as parents became more selective amid higher costs. The ISC said pupil numbers from Hong Kong continued a downward trend, with the latest year showing a marked decrease.
The outlet added that the Hong Kong decline outpaced the global average and most other regions, with Hong Kong recording the largest drop in absolute numbers and the second-largest percentage decline, behind only Russia, based on the ISC census results.