📋 Tender Overview
Following is a question by the Hon Chu Kwokkeung and a reply by the Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuklin in the Legislative Council today June 11
Question
The Government is now establishing the Study in Hong Kong brand to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for education There are views pointing out that with the robust development of local basic education and the extensive recognition of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination qualification primary and secondary schools are wellpositioned to admit nonlocal students amid the continuing decline in the number of students At present however entry for nonlocal students to study in Hong Kongs public or aided primary and secondary schools other than English Schools Foundation ESF schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme DSS schools is not permitted In this connection will the Government inform this Council
1 of the respective numbers of minor students coming to Hong Kong on student visas to study in private primary and secondary schools ESF schools and DSS primary and secondary schools over the past three school years as well as the distribution of their years of study
2 whether it will consider drawing on the practices of other countries to relax the eligibility criteria for student visas so as to allow nonlocal minor students entry into Hong Kong to study in public or aided primary and secondary schools as well as introducing student guardian visas for their parents to stay in Hong Kong and engage in timelimited employment and
3 whether it will consider encouraging private enterprises or educational institutions to establish additional student hostels or overseas students apartments to provide accommodation and ancillary services suitable for students of different ages as well as establishing corresponding licensing and registration regimes
Reply
President
The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Government would promote the development of an international hub for postsecondary education by establishing the Study in Hong Kong brand as well as pooling together and nurturing excellent global talents The policy is built on the foundation that Hong Kongs universities enjoy an international reputation Among our eight public universities five are ranked among the worlds top 100 and six within Asias top 50 and four are among the top ten on the list of the most international universities in the world The internationalisation and diversity of our postsecondary education attract outstanding talents from all over the world to Hong Kong for further studies and research Meanwhile the National 14th FiveYear Plan supports Hong Kong as a development centre in eight key areas eight centres the Education Bureau EDB has been proactively encouraging postsecondary education institutions to develop more related applied degree programmes to complement with the talent backing for the eight centres At the same time we are also committed to promoting the Study in Hong Kong brand developing Hong Kong into an international education hub attracting outstanding talent from all over the world in all aspects to enrich the local talent pool
Regarding our basic education under the one country two systems Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world We have been providing 12year free and quality primary and secondary education to all local children through public sector schools and parents of local children are offered with diversified choices Meanwhile nonlocal children can study in nonpublic sector schools including international schools private schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools on a selffinancing basis These arrangements aim to ensure a reasonable balance between the supply and demand of school places in basic education in the relevant arrangements while achieving prudent use of public funds In fact Hong Kongs diversified and quality school education system has long been ranked among the top in international education comparative studies
Having consulted the Security Bureau and the Immigration Department ImmD our reply to the question raised by the Hon Chu Kwokkeung is as follows
1 In the past three years 2022 to 2024 a total of 1 686 applications for student visaentry permit were approved by the ImmD for nonlocal children aged 17 or below coming to Hong Kong for education see Annex The ImmD and the EDB do not keep statistics on the types of schools admitting these students
2 The Government is committed to developing a vibrant international school sector to meet the demand for education from nonlocal families living in Hong Kong as well as children of families coming to Hong Kong for work or investment International schools operate on a selffinancing and marketdriven basis and belong to the private school sector They have been enjoying the flexibility including the medium of instruction curriculum arrangements public examinations etc and they are not subsidised by public funds for daily operation providing diversified choices for local parents while offering school places to nonlocal children who pay school fees at their own expense under the user pays principle As seen from the figures provided by the ImmD over the past three years there have been hundreds nonlocal children aged from five years eight months to 17 years being approved with study visaentry permit to come to Hong Kong for education annually We will closely keep in view the demand for school places from nonlocal children conduct dynamic assessments of the demand and supply of school places create conditions in a timely manner and launch policy measures to adjust the supply of school places including supporting the development of nonprofitmaking private schools offering nonlocal curriculum through the school allocation exercise Meanwhile we will proactively explore the feasibility of facilitating nonlocal students to come to
