Tang Fei urges halt to school subsidy cuts
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Education sector lawmaker Tang Fei (鄧飛) said on Thursday morning, September 4, that the government should suspend cuts to the Operating Expenses Block Grant and Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant for primary and secondary schools before the new Policy Address is delivered later this month. He said the reductions have continued for two years at about 10% across different sub-items, leaving some schools with too few classes under heavier financial strain and, in some cases, deficits.
Key Points
- Speaking on a radio programme on the morning of September 4, Tang Fei said the Policy Address is due to be delivered on September 16.
- He said sub-items under the Operating Expenses Block Grant and Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant have been cut by about 10% for two consecutive years.
- Tang said the impact falls more heavily on non-teaching staff, with schools likely to hire fewer janitors and charge fees for some extracurricular activities.
- He said falling birth rates are affecting student numbers, but development of the Northern Metropolis could attract talent to Hong Kong with families, supporting demand for both universities and schools.
- Tang said Hong Kong has mainly recruited students from the mainland, Southeast Asia and Belt and Road countries, but could in future also target Eastern Europe and Russia.
Why It Matters
If the subsidy cuts continue, schools already facing enrolment pressure may have less room to maintain campus services and affordable student activities. Tang also linked school planning to the Northern Metropolis and overseas student recruitment, suggesting education policy is being tied more closely to Hong Kong's population and talent strategy.