Parents’ Temporary Absence from Hong Kong
An enrollment requirement of HKIS is for all students to have at least one parent in full-time residence in Hong Kong.
Temporary Absence from Hong Kong
If during the school year both parents plan to leave Hong Kong for one or more days while their child remains in residence, one or more temporary guardians must be appointed to make any necessary decisions regarding the child’s welfare. A “Notification of Both Parents’ Absence from Hong Kong” form must be completed through PowerSchool each time both parents plan to be absent from Hong Kong, and submitted to the student’s divisional administration office as far in advance as possible. The “Appointment of Temporary Guardians” form must also be completed through PowerSchool as soon as possible prior to the FIRST planned departure of both parents from Hong Kong. The completion of one of these forms each school year is sufficient, as long as the appointed temporary guardian information has not changed. Parents who do not arrange for and inform the school of the child’s supervision and guardianship may jeopardize the child’s continued enrollment at HKIS.
Child Care Arrangements in the Event of Marital Separation/Divorce
This administrative policy applies to all separated or divorced parents of HKIS students. HKIS understands that special custody, access and permission arrangements may be required for the children of divorced or legally separated parents. HKIS attempts to accommodate the desires of both parents and court orders, within reason. HKIS does follow legal guardianship directions from Hong Kong courts in accordance with the school’s policies. Note that court orders relating to child care and custody obtained from foreign jurisdictions are generally not recognized in Hong Kong unless the parties specifically seek a “mirror” order in Hong Kong.
HKIS always defaults to what the school believes is best for the student. Nevertheless, in some cases when parents cannot reach agreement and/or the school cannot accommodate the parents’ requirements (within reason), HKIS’s final response may be to withdraw the student’s enrollment.
In order to document the terms by which the parents jointly request HKIS to provide special custody, access and permission arrangements, a “Child Care Arrangements in the Event of Marital Separation/Divorce” form (the “Form”) must be completed for each student and signed by both parents. The form is accessible through PowerSchool, and completion of this Form is a requirement to ensure retention of the child’s enrollment at HKIS.
To the extent permitted by law, HKIS will abide solely by the arrangements set out in the Form, notwithstanding any court orders. In the event of any conflicts or disputes, parents are advised to seek clarification from the court. If the parents wish to vary the arrangements set out in the Form, they must inform HKIS in writing, and both parents must sign such notice.
The information provided in the Form will be used for HKIS’s administration purposes and for determining relevant arrangements for the student. As such, the information provided will be made available to those HKIS staff responsible for the care of the student, which may include (but is not limited to) the student’s teachers, the relevant teaching assistants, school counselors and/or the school nurse. If and when appropriate, HKIS may release certain relevant information to external providers operating services and activities in which the student participates as an HKIS student (e.g., providing information to extracurricular service providers regarding who may or may not collect the student following such activities).
