London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Singapore schools offer ‘safety and security’ for families leaving Hong Kong protests behind

At Singapore’s ISS, inquiries from Hong Kong parents have increased 60 per cent from previous years. And it’s not alone. Hong Kong’s ongoing unrest is one reason but parents are also attracted to Singapore’s bilingual system and highly rated universities

When Singapore’s ISS International School held a community event last month, a concerned Hong Kong family approached the school’s admissions department. They wanted to discuss the growing network of Hong Kong-based parents considering sending their children to study in Singapore.

“They wanted to assist their colleagues and friends in Hong Kong to be able to admit their children should they feel … relocating out of Hong Kong to Singapore developed from a conversation into a reality,” said Paul Adamberry, director of marketing communications and admissions, adding that inquiries from Hong Kong parents have increased 60 per cent from previous years.

The international school is not alone. More than seven international schools and relocation consultants reported a steady surge in inquiries since anti-government protests broke out in Hong Kong last June.

Singapore’s schools are not the only sector reporting increased interest from Hong Kong: there has also been an increased interest from wealthy families who want to shift assets from Hong Kong to Singapore and asset managers looking to open offices in the city state, according to a Bloomberg report.



“We have not seen a sudden surge of interest of this nature from one particular city except during the global financial crisis,” said Tan Woon Hum, a lawyer who heads his firm’s specialised funds management practice in Singapore.

Hong Kong families are “investigating alternative choices” as a result of the protests’ social and economic impact, said Adamberry, who added that inquiries were from both Hongkongers and Hong Kong-based expatriates.

Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa has blamed the liberal studies curriculum at Hong Kong’s secondary schools for misleading young people, who form the majority of the city’s black-clad protesters. About 40 per cent of those arrested were students, according to a December statement by Hong Kong officials.

Tung is vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top political advisory body. He was quoted by China Daily as describing Hong Kong’s curriculum as a “failure” and one of the reasons for the city’s “youth problems”.

Singapore-based relocation consultancy OCSC Global said political uncertainty and violence in Hong Kong remain the main motivation for Hong Kong families looking at options abroad.

Its director, Philip Ng, said families mostly inquired about requirements for permanent residency in Singapore, and the steps needed to send their children to study there or to move some parts of their business operations.

Other international schools received similar feedback from families. Richard Henry, head of GEMS World Academy, also said Singapore appealed to those seeking a “stable environment”. Inquiries from Hongkongers doubled since November last year, he said, and 2 per cent of the academy’s current enrolment of 1,000 students are from families who moved from Hong Kong to Singapore.

Etonhouse International School, which has six campuses in Singapore, reported a recent surge in interest, and said curriculums including Mandarin and maths were particularly popular among Singapore’s expatriate community.

Hong Kong parents planning to move to Singapore regard the bilingual education system as a “real advantage”, said John Hu, the founder and principal consultant of John Hu Migration Consulting.

“The other thing is that the Chinese government is trying to exercise more control over the education system so some of the parents feel that they would like to have their children educated abroad,” said Hu, who also noted the appeal of Singapore’s universities.

Cressida Martin, a British national who moved to Hong Kong in 2014 before leaving for Singapore last year, cited other reasons for her family’s relocation.

“Hong Kong is too polluted and not child-friendly,” she said. “My son’s asthma has also almost gone away in Singapore as there is little pollution here.”



Singapore’s school system also makes the assimilation of new students a priority. Henry from GEMS World Academy said curriculum typically includes topics of migration and third-culture identity. There is also no “singular dominant nationality”, he said.

For Paul Adamberry at ISS International School, appealing to families relocating from Hong Kong requires a multifaceted, ongoing consultative approach.

“We have discussed with partners and vendors … how to make Hong Kong families aware that we are happy to welcome and include their child and families into the community should they have to make the difficult decision to leave Hong Kong for Singapore,” he said.

“Families and investors are attracted to Singapore for the fact it is predictable in its safety and security. The issues being faced currently in Hong Kong are not really a social issue we must be concerned with in Singapore.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×