The Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council has introduced a code setting minimum standards for student accommodation. Announced on November 7, it requires all accommodation operators to comply.
Under the code, operators must clearly list every charge, with no hidden fees. They must provide breakfast and dinner on school days, and breakfast, lunch and dinner on non-school days. Regular social gatherings and local cultural activities are also required to help residents connect with one another and learn about Hong Kong’s society, culture and daily life.
The council says it will inspect accommodation facilities regularly. If it verifies poor performance or a breach of the code, it will remove the facility from its list and notify direct-subsidy schools.
The council’s deputy chairman, Dion Chen, said it had received three applications. Applicants must provide legal proof that alterations to accommodation units comply with the law, and the council plans site visits to assess whether facilities meet the requirements.
The code comes as direct-subsidy schools take in more non-local pupils. The Education Bureau reported last month that 14 schools had admitted a total of 170 non-local students holding student visas this academic year under the expansion plan. The council said the first arrivals had been placed in student accommodation.
In a separate development announced the same day, the council signed a cooperation memorandum with QUT for an early-admission plan. Graduates of participating direct-subsidy schools may receive unconditional offers before public-exam results are released, based on their schools’ predicted results.
The council says its list of accepted accommodation facilities will be published on its website and the Study in Hong Kong: Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools website, and shared with direct-subsidy schools to help them arrange accommodation for non-local pupils.