The debenture system, a long-standing practice in Hong Kong’s top international schools, is fading; a trend Top Schools spotted early and welcomes. For years, wealthy parents could pay up to HK$7M+ to secure priority admission for their children, bypassing standard queues. While optional, this pract...

What is a debenture?

A debenture is the traditional name given to a loan agreement where the borrower is an institutional borrower. For our purposes, the institution is a school.

The money raised by the debentures becomes a part of the school’s capital structure. The school may use the funds raise...

It’s nearly April. Every day, I receive enquiries from families who just got word that they’ll be relocating to Hong Kong in July/August and they need school places for September. This is not easy!

An application submitted in April is VERY late.

Of course, parents may not know this when they sign ...