FAQ-Frequently asked questions about working at Hong Kong Academy and living in Hong Kong

Is it safe?
Extremely. The incidence of personal injury crime is extremely low as is theft. It is not unusual to see females walking or exercising alone in the evening. Taxis are very reliable and safe.

What about Hong Kong for recreation?
The efficient and relatively cheap public transport and cheap recreational opportunities provide many low, or no cost recreational opportunities. Beaches, public parks and national parks are very close to where people live making Hong Kong unique. Hong Kong also has fabulous Arts opportunities and some of the best eating in the world. For those interested in sports Hong Kong has virtually everything for all ages, shapes and sizes. A number of teachers at the school are runners and take full advantage of the country parks and coastal walkways. A Hong Kong Disneyland and other excellent theme parks add to the huge variety of recreational opportunities that Hong Kong offers including tennis, rugby, the arts (Hong Kong Arts Festival), music, and cinema …

What travel opportunities are there from Hong Kong?
Having a very modern airport which is a well connect hub makes air travel relatively inexpensive and efficient. The airport being directly connected by fast train to the city also makes life easier. Train, jet foil and ferry access make excursions into Mainland China very easy and reasonably priced.

What is the average age of the staff?
We have a generally young staff with an average age in the early thirties.

Does HKA recruit families?
Yes it does. HKA is very much a community school so embraces families. It has to be noted however that the availability of inexpensive housing close to the school suitable for families is limited.

How does the housing allowance work?
Prior to the 2007/8 academic year the school housed all new hires in a housing complex called South Horizons. This complex offered excellent value for money and each single teacher was placed in a furnished two-bedroom apartment. While it was generally appreciated that teachers had an apartment to move straight into, the majority preferred to have a choice. As of the 2007/8 academic year teachers will be given an allowance to enable them to find their own apartment to suit them in terms of size, location, and even budget. The housing allowance is a cash monthly payment, which is only marginally taxed. Teachers are not obliged to spend all of their allowance on housing although most would, if not more.

What is housing like?
Generally it is expensive and small. Bargains can be found and size cost and quality is very dependent upon location. The school is located on Hong Kong Island close to Wan Chai.

What would happen when you first arrive in Hong Kong?
In reference to housing
Unless you have pre-arranged to move into a South Horizons apartment you would be placed in short-term self-contained housing relatively close to the school. From this base you can then discover Hong Kong and explore where you may wish to live. It is anticipated that teachers may take advantage of this housing for one to two months in finding their own accommodation. The school organizes relocation companies to assist teachers in locating properties and to defray any initial rental deposits to ensure a smooth housing transition.
General orientation
The school places considerable importance on its new teachers feeling supported and well orientated to their new school and location in general. Orientation will start shortly after being hired with the sharing of professional documentation and work on initiatives. An appointed New Hire Orientation Coordinator will communicate with new-hires together with school administrators and other teachers. On arriving in Hong Kong new-hires will work through a detailed orientation program to ensure they become familiar with the school and Hong Kong and have the critical support necessary to make sure their transition is smooth and successful.

Does the school provide furniture for apartments?
No. Some apartments come furnished and many teachers will ship household items and some furniture. Furniture is very reasonably priced and furniture buying is a favorite pastime for many.

Can teachers save anything from their salaries?
While Hong Kong is often described as an expensive city how much you can save is highly dependent upon the lifestyle you choose to live. A poll of teachers suggests that with a reasonable mix of some travel and eating out it is possible for a single teacher to comfortably save about 10,000-12,000 US$ per year not including the 10% + 10% of base salary matching retirement plan. The figure for teaching couples without children was in excess of 25,000 US$ per year.

Does the school support professional development?
The school prides itself on its programs and teaching being based on best practice and current research. Its founding principles firmly encourage these things and support innovation. The school also has an extremely supportive parent community who recognize the value of professional development and valuing its teachers. To maintain this HKA makes a proportionally high allocation for professional development for individual teachers and co-teachers. HKA also encourages on going in–house PD, regular attendance at conferences and the active recruitment of consultants and specialists to help develop the school professional development goals. There is an early dismissal every Wednesday afternoon throughout the school year in which professional and curriculum development take place as well as team planning and teacher sharing sessions.

What is technology like in the school?
HKA believes IT needs to be integrated into its learning program and as such the aim is to make it as flexible and adaptable as possible and operates on wired and wireless systems. The school has a large number of Mac laptops, which are used throughout the school. There are ceiling mounted LCD projectors and desktop computers in every room and we are interested in piloting electronic whiteboards in some classrooms. The school has a one-to-one laptop program for grades 6,7 and 8. The school utilizes an intranet system using FirstClass on which parents, teachers and students have accounts. This system supports a high level of internal communication as well as home/school communication through electronic newsletters, weekly bulletins, etc.

Can you have pets in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong has a high proportion of pet owners, however, small apartments and limited open spaces do not make it ideal for large animals. Good veterinarian services are readily available. Please be aware there are very strict quarantine laws in reference to the importation of animals into Hong Kong.

Do you need a car in Hong Kong?
No. Very few teachers own cars. Excellent public transport, parking difficulties and high taxation of car registration and fuel make owning cars often frustrating and expensive even through car prices are very reasonable.

What is public transport like?
Excellent. It is also varied. You can catch buses, trams, trains, underground trains and ferries. Most public transport is cheap, clean and all connected to an electronic “Octopus” card payment system, which is simple and very efficient. The frequency and availability of public transportation is very good. There are generally no safety issues in using public transport even late at night. Taxis are also very reliable, safe and reasonably priced.

What is the average stay of teachers at HKA?
Hong Kong Academy is a relatively young school, only starting in 2000, therefore longevity of tenure is difficult to judge at this stage as the school has been changing and developing every year. Currently on staff there are teachers who have almost been with the school since inception although the average tenure at present would be close to three years.

Is it difficult to obtain a visa?
For qualified teachers it is not difficult to obtain a visa although there is a good degree of paperwork involved which the school will assist with.

How diverse is the staff?
One of the school’s founding principles is diversity and therefore HKA works hard at attracting a diverse staff. This includes age, gender and race, and nationality. Like all schools this is not always possible but it is a strong consideration when recruiting.

Who are the students?
Students who attend the school are predominantly from expatriate families around the world. Most have chosen the school based on its low student-teacher ratio (max. 18 students per class) the intimate atmosphere of the school and the sense of community, which the school engenders. The school values diversity and strongly practices this. Admission guidelines ensure that individual nationality groups do not dominate the school and that those parents who do not fully subscribe to the key educational values of the school are discouraged from applying. The school’s diversity approach also means we foster an open admissions policy in terms of nationalities, ethnicity and abilities. While we encourage admissions from students at both ends of the learning spectrum we carefully analyze whether the school can meet an individual students’ needs successfully, before admitting them.