UK Private School VAT sends Hong Kong student numbers plummeting

Hong Kong student numbers at UK private schools have fallen by a record 17 per cent after Britain imposed a 20 per cent tax on fees last year. New admissions dropped even further, by 26 per cent, according to the latest census. A consultant who specializes in recruiting students for British private schools said enrolment has returned to levels last seen before Hong Kong’s emigration wave. Parents are now more selective as costs rise, the expert added. The data comes from an annual census by the United Kingdom’s Independent Schools Council.