Overview of the Education System
The education system in Hong Kong is for the most part decentralized, with the Education Bureau being responsible for formulating, developing and reviewing policies, programs, and legislation from preprimary to tertiary level. It has oversight of the implementation of educational programs, delegating authority to schools and encouraging school-based curriculum development.5 Such provision calls for the active support of and participation from various members of the community.6 Different modes of on-site support were provided by the Education Bureau to 372 primary and 309 secondary schools in the 2014−2015 academic year alone, including support services for school-based curriculum development.7 In 2010, approximately 880,000 students were enrolled in kindergarten, primary, and secondary education. Of the total enrollment across all educational levels, 21 percent of students were in kindergartens, 39 percent in primary schools, and 40 percent in secondary schools.8 Although no up to date statistics are available about recent initiatives, more than 60 percent of students ages 17 to 20 have had access to post‑secondary education.9
Preprimary education provision consists of childcare for children ages 2 to 3 and kindergarten for children ages 3 to 6. In September 2016, 184,032 children were enrolled in Hong Kong’s 1,014 kindergartens and the student–teacher ratio was 8.7 students to a teacher.10 From the 2017−2018 school year onward, the Education Bureau will implement a Free Quality Kindergarten Education policy.11 As part of this new policy, eligible local nonprofit kindergartens participating in the program will be provided with a basic subsidy for the provision of a three year, half day service for all eligible children. A subsidy also will be provided for participating kindergartens offering whole day and “long whole day” (operating longer service hours) kindergarten services, with parents paying a small subsidized school fee.
The 575 primary schools in Hong Kong provide free schooling for children ages 6 to 11. During the 2016 school year, 349,008 children were enrolled in primary schools and the average class size was 27.2 students.12 The numbers of students enrolled in primary schools in Hong Kong began to decline appreciably in the 2005–2006 academic year. During that year, 429,900 students were enrolled in primary schools, with the number falling to 348,500 students in the 2009–2010 academic year. A further decrease was reported in the 2010−2011 academic year, with only 334,400 students enrolled in primary schools.13 To capitalize on this trend and enhance the quality of teaching and learning, the Education Bureau conducted the “Small Class Teaching” study involving 37 primary schools. Small Class Teaching has gradually been implemented in public sector primary schools, starting with Primary 1 in the 2009–2010 school year.14
The government provides free schooling at the secondary level. Under the new academic structure implemented in September 2009, all students have the opportunity to study until Secondary 6.15 In September 2016, 338,152 children were enrolled in secondary schools, the average class size in secondary schools (Secondary 1 to 6) being 28.1 students. The student-teacher ratio was 11.8 to 1 in 2016.16
At the tertiary level, Hong Kong has 20 degree-awarding higher education institutions, including eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee, 11 self-financing institutions, and one publicly funded institution.17 Nine campuses under the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education offer skill-oriented programs.
Besides government and aided schools, Direct Subsidy Scheme schools constitute a sizable sector of schools within the education system. In September 2015, there were 73 such schools—52 at the secondary level, 12 at the primary level, and nine with classes both at the secondary and primary levels.18 As of September 2015, there also were 51 international schools, including 15 schools run by the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong. These establishments offer various nonlocal curricula—namely American, Australian, British, Canadian, French, German-Swiss, Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean—and provide for approximately 41,000 school-age children.19 Most of these schools have curricula culminating with conventional “A-level” final examinations; some offer International Baccalaureate programs.