In Hong Kong, only schools with a certain percentage of students holding non-Hong Kong passports are legally allowed to describe themselves as “international”. On paper, that sounds straightforward. In practice, the experience can look very different from one campus to the next. For expat families arriving in the city, this often makes choosing a school more complicated than expected.
Many schools look similar at first glance. They may follow international curricula, such as the International Baccalaureate or the British National Curriculum, and teach in English. But the day-to-day experience for students can vary widely. Some schools primarily serve a local and Chinese student population, while others are built around multiculturalism, global mobility, and a widely mixed community.
For parents researching schools from overseas, it can be hard to picture what life inside a school actually feels like. Who will your child be learning alongside? How international is the environment in everyday classroom life, not just on paper?
This guide should help expat families make sense of those differences and understand what a “truly” international school in Hong Kong will look like in practice.
International schools were originally created to support globally mobile families, particularly those with children who needed continuity in learning after moving abroad, before going on to higher education in their home country or elsewhere.
That original purpose remains relevant for families looking to relocate to Hong Kong. Expat parents will expect international education to help their children settle into their new life, build friendships across cultures, and maintain academic and language continuity.
At the same time, they’ll want a quality of education that aligns with the standards their children experienced previously and supports future academic success.
Hong Kong has long been known as an international city, but the period since 2019 has brought visible change, exacerbated by Covid lockdowns and border shutdown policies.
These changes have reshaped the international school landscape. Some expat families have returned to their home countries earlier than planned. Some Hong Kong residents have relocated overseas through new visa routes, particularly to the UK. At the same time, the Hong Kong government has been actively encouraging international professionals to move to the city, especially in sectors like life and health technology, AI, fintech, advanced manufacturing and green energy.
Alongside this, more Chinese families have looked to Hong Kong to continue an international-style education, leading to a higher proportion of local and mainland Chinese students enrolling in international schools.
None of this is inherently negative. Many families actively seek schools that reflect local language, culture, and long-term ties to the region. For expat parents, though, it does mean that the word “international” does not always signal the same experience it once did.
Understanding this context helps parents assess schools more clearly. Rather than relying on a school’s name or curriculum alone, it becomes important to look at who the students are, how diversity shows up day to day, and how the school positions itself within Hong Kong’s evolving education landscape.
Diverse classrooms offer benefits that go beyond exposure to different cultures. Research consistently shows that students who learn alongside peers from many backgrounds tend to develop stronger social awareness, communication skills, and confidence in navigating differences.
For expat children in Hong Kong, diversity can also reduce feelings of isolation. Being part of a mixed international community often makes transitions easier, especially for families who are new to the city. Students are more likely to meet peers who understand what it means to move countries or grow up between cultures.
Over time, these experiences help prepare children for further study and work in international environments, where collaboration across cultures is increasingly the norm.
In schools with a strong global outlook, internationalism shows up in everyday interactions. One of the clearest indicators is a broad mix of nationalities within the student community, both in the number of countries represented and in how evenly those nationalities are distributed across classes.
Another important factor is how schools approach international mobility. Schools that genuinely serve expat families are usually used to students arriving and leaving throughout the year. They have systems in place to support transitions, both academically and socially, and staff who understand what it means to grow up across multiple countries.
Classroom culture also offers important clues. In international schools, lessons often draw on multiple perspectives, and students are encouraged to share their own experiences and viewpoints. Smaller class sizes, often with teacher-to-student ratios of around 1:10 or lower are widely known to better support discussion and individual engagement, particularly in diverse classrooms.
Extracurricular life often reinforces this picture. In schools with a global outlook, activities tend to reflect a wide range of interests and cultural influences. Clubs, trips, and student-led initiatives give students space to mix beyond the classroom, build friendships across cultures, and explore what matters to them in ways that feel inclusive and natural.
While diversity within the student body is important, it is not the only indicator of an international environment. In many schools, global outlook is reflected in how the curriculum is taught, whose perspectives are included, and how global issues are explored across subjects.
Some schools also integrate ideas of citizenship, sustainability, and responsibility into everyday learning. The physical environment can play a role too. Campuses that offer space, access to nature, and opportunities to learn beyond the classroom often support wellbeing and balance, shaping how students experience school life on a daily basis.
In developing this article, we drew on insights inspired by an in-person visit to Hong Kong Academy (HKA), an independent international school whose approach reflects many of the principles discussed above.
The school meet the criteria we mentioned above:
Its student community spans more than 35 nationalities, with no single country representing a majority.
It has a 1:6 teacher ratio - optimal to support individual learning.
Its culture places emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, supporting multilingualism and a global mindset. Flexibility extends to admissions, with year-round enrolment that reflects the realities of international mobility.
The campus itself supports this ethos, offering space and a setting that encourages connection to the natural environment.
All combined, these factors show that, rather than presenting internationalism as a concept, HKA demonstrates how it can be lived through curriculum, culture, and community.
Students at American School Hong Kong (ASHK)
Look beyond the curriculum and ask about the student community. In international schools, diversity tends to show up within each class, not just across the school as a whole. Schools should also be able to explain how global outlook is reflected in everyday learning.
Ask who the students are and where they come from, how diversity shapes classroom discussion, and how the school supports globally mobile families. It can also be useful to ask how students are prepared for future moves or international university pathways.
It depends on a child's age, but generally a 1:10 ratio or below fosters stronger relationships between teachers and students, leading to higher academic performance. Of course, while smaller class sizes can help, what matters most is how teachers engage students and encourage participation across different perspectives.
How international does the school feel outside the classroomPay attention to break times, assemblies, and after-school activities. Hearing different accents, seeing families from a range of backgrounds, and noticing how students mix socially can reveal a lot about how international the environment really is.