Yew Chung: Hong Kong's First Homegrown International School Turns 94

Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong traces its roots to 1932, when the very first Yew Chung School was founded in Hong Kong by Madam Tsang Chor-hang. It was a modest beginning. The school focused on young children, and its founding philosophy was clear from the outset: from its inception, the school offered early childhood and primary education, pioneering a unique bilingual approach that harmonised Eastern and Western pedagogical values. That makes it the first homegrown international school in Hong Kong.

Origins

Madam Tsang Chor-hang's motivation was as much civic as educational. The organisation is based on the humble but profound vision of its founder, who wanted to promote national progress through holistic education. The school carried her name in Chinese, 耀中, meaning "radiant centre," and it was originally known simply as the Yew Chung School. For its first decades it concentrated on kindergarten and early childhood, building a reputation for quality that would give it the platform to grow.

Second Generation, New Direction

In 1970, after finishing her studies in the US, Dr Betty Chan Po-king accepted the leadership from her mother and continued Yew Chung's commitment to quality education. The handover was a turning point. Dr Chan championed the groundbreaking concept of "learning through play", reshaping local education practices and solidifying Yew Chung's reputation for innovation.

In 1985, Yew Chung organised the "Pillars of Tomorrow", an Early Childhood Education Exhibition in Beijing, officiated by Ms Kang Keqing, the then Chairlady of the Beijing Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Four years later, in 1989, Yew Chung collaborated with UNICEF to organise the world's first academic forum on early childhood education, promoting exchanges between early childhood education communities in the Mainland, Hong Kong and around the world. The school was operating far beyond Hong Kong's school gates.

Becoming a Full School

The school's legacy expanded in 1987 with the establishment of Yew Chung International School-Primary, formalising its international curriculum while retaining its dual-language heritage. By 1993, the Secondary Section was introduced, completing a seamless K-12 pathway with globally recognised programmes. In the same year, the foundation opened its first mainland China campus in Shanghai, which was established as the first independent international school in Shanghai officially recognised by and registered with the Chinese government.

The co-teaching model that became a signature of the Yew Chung network was also formalised during this period. All Yew Chung International Schools operate a distinctive bilingual and co-cultural model of education, with all early childhood and primary classrooms equally led by one Western and one Chinese teacher; all schools are also jointly led by two co-principals, one Western and one Chinese.

Growth of the Network

YCIS Hong Kong is part of the Yew Chung Education Foundation, which spans across Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, and Qingdao in China, and Silicon Valley in the United States. Dr Betty Chan Po-king and her husband, Professor Paul Yip Kwok-wah, later founded the Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network, nurturing Chinese and expatriate students to contribute to the international stage. The Hong Kong school remained the anchor of this growing organisation, described on the school's own overview page as having "played a revolutionary role in developing education in Hong Kong."

Accreditation consolidated the school's standing. In 2015, YCIS Hong Kong Secondary was accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS). The school is also an approved Cambridge International Examinations testing centre. In the same year, Dr Betty Chan received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Bath, UK, one of several honorary degrees she has received in recognition of her half-century of leadership in international education.

Curriculum and Identity

YCIS Hong Kong offers IGCSE, YCIS, and IB curricula based on the National Curriculum for England with a bilingual focus on English and Chinese language acquisition. The secondary pathway is structured in three stages: secondary students journey through the National Curriculum for England in Years 7 to 9, the IGCSE Programme in Years 10 to 11, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Years 12 to 13. At YCIS, students are taught Mandarin Chinese and English from Kindergarten, with the option of picking up French as a foreign language later in Secondary.

Yew Chung places strong emphasis on character education, built upon 12 traditional Chinese virtues and Christian values. The school's religious affiliation is Christian, and its ethos threads Eastern moral frameworks through an otherwise internationally framed curriculum, an approach it has maintained since Madam Tsang Chor-hang's founding.

Present Day

The nine campuses are situated in Kowloon Tong and Tseung Kwan O, offering education from Early Childhood to Upper Secondary. The diverse student body represents over 30 countries and regions, while the faculty comprises educators from more than 20 nationalities. Total enrolment stands at around 2,200 students, spanning infants through to Year 13.

IB results have been a consistent strength. YCIS Hong Kong has maintained a 100% pass rate for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. In the 2024 cohort, two students obtained a perfect score of 45 points, and 76 students, representing 62% of the cohort, received the IB Bilingual Diploma. The 2026 cohort matched that benchmark: 24 students achieved a score of 40 or above among a total of 123 students registered, and 67 students received a bilingual diploma.

Director Betty Chan Po-King remains at the helm of the Yew Chung Education Foundation. In 2026, she received the inaugural Distinguished Educator Award, presented by the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association, recognising her half-century of cross-regional leadership in early childhood education. The secondary campus is headquartered at 3 To Fuk Road, Kowloon Tong.

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