Growth of the International Schooling Landscape in ASIA

The international school market has experienced massive growth over the past 10 years with some of the most notable names in British and North American education establishing campuses in various major Asian cities.

Data released by ICEF Monitor in March 2014 indicated that the global English-medium international schools market is predicted to see significant growth in 2014 and into the foreseeable future. The latest figures published by The International School Consultancy Group (ISC) indicate that there are now 7,017 international schools around the world meeting the learning needs of over 3.5 million students, all using English as the language for learning.

WENR (World Education News & Reviews) noted in July 2014 that the majority of enrollments are now occurring in the major metro areas of newly wealthy Gulf nations, such as Dubai and Doha, or those of emerging economies such as , Brazil and India. China - hosts the second largest number of international schools globally. Currently, only foreign students or Chinese children with one foreign-born parent can attend foreign-owned and operated schools. This means that the notable names in British and American education are largely teaching children from the expatriate community. However, some private Chinese schools are now able to offer international curriculums and demand is growing, with an increasing number of students opting out of local schools in order to boost their chances of enrolling in top Western universities.

Dubai - noted by WENR (World Education News & Reviews), there are currently 60 new schools planned for 2014 according to ISC research. In Doha, the capital of Qatar, there were 126 international schools in 2013 which is remarkable when one considers that the city’s population barely tops a half million people.

Hong Kong – has experienced an increase in the number of international schools from 92 in 2000 to about 170 today, while the number of students has almost doubled, from 34,200 to 66,138. The Education Bureau requires the schools to abide by a 70/30 foreign passport holder/ resident ratio for admissions. To meet the demand for international school places, the government offered three vacant school premises in 2013. One site is now occupied by the International Montessori Education Foundation, in Stanley, which was able to expand from its current site in Tin Hau. Carmel School, a Jewish school, now occupies a site in . Some other schools have come to the rescue by opening new campuses and others expanded in recent years, such as, Anfield School, Kellett School, and Harrow International School.

In addition, another school on the block is Nord Anglia International School which opened in September 2014. This is Nord Anglia Education’s first school in Hong Kong and is part of a worldwide group of 31 premium international schools across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Malaysia - has experienced a growth for a few factors, largely due to the recent release of government restrictions affecting the number of local Malaysian citizens who are able to attend international schools. The result is that international schools are now legally entitled to enrol up to 100% Malaysian nationals if they choose. Another development has been the establishment of two new education hubs for the country: Education City in Kuala Lumpur and EduCity in Iskandar.

Singapore – has experienced an increase for international school places in the past 10 years and local schools alike are experiencing a higher number in applications by local Singaporeans and foreign passport holders. There are strict government restrictions on the number of local students able to enrol in most international schools (Singapore students account for just 4% of the total student population) - as a result, they exist essentially for expatriate children and the demand for international school places continues to grow. Reputable schools such as Gems World Academy and Dulwich College recently opened in September 2014 to accommodate this demand while others are being relocated out of the city by the government to larger areas of land in order to expand and increase the intake of students.