What is the school structure in HKG from toddler to young adult

I am not familiar with the school system in HongKong. Is school incrementally structured K1-3, nursery, then P1-7 and form 1-6? Are K1-3, individually, monthly or yearly termed? are they mandatory?

It gets complicated because there are several school systems. International schools run with whichever system is used in their country of "origin".


Local schools have their roots in the British system. Year 1 starts the year the child turns 6. Primaries run years 1-6 and then secondary years 7-9 with senior secondary years 10-12. Years 1-9 are mandatory.


K1-K3 equivalents are not mandatory. Many International schools have one or two years of pre-school but those years are typically called "reception". Pre-school chains like Woodland or ESF Kindergarten feed (mostly English speaking) schools. (ESF primaries has no reception since they have ESF Kindergarten.)


Pre-school terms also depend. Woodland runs two terms from late August to the end of July and then has "summer programs".


British schools including English Schools Foundation generally start year 1 the year the child turns 5, with primary schools running years 1-6 and secondaries years 7-13.


US schools generally start year 1 the year the child turns 6 (or thereabouts) and then have a US primary-middle-high school structure.


Canadian, French, Swiss German, Australian and so forth all follow their national structure. For example Australian has an Aussie school year, with long holidays in HK winter to coincide with Australian summer.

thanks for info. For HKG local schools then, the mandatory years are primary 1 to 6. are the secondary years, 7-9, called secondary 1 to 3 then? So if one starts primary 1 at 6, then one can leave education after year 9 at the age of 15?

is my understanding correct?


In UK, the minimum leaving age is 16. and the primary year are from 1 to 7. secondary years from S1 to S6. can leave at secondary 4 by which they will be 16.

As you say, one can leave at age 15 (after year 3 of secondary). 9 years are mandatory. In other words primary (1-6) plus secondary (1-3).