48 DSS schools approved for expansion scheme
HK01 · 4 SOURCES1 day ago4 MIN
Summary
The Education Bureau said 48 Direct Subsidy Scheme schools have now been approved to join the “DSS expansion” pilot, with officials describing the initial rollout as encouraging. According to the latest student headcount, 170 non-local students holding student visas enrolled in DSS schools on a self-financing basis in the current school year, 13% more than a year earlier.
Key Points
- The bureau said 48 DSS schools have been approved to participate in the pilot expansion plan, accounting for more than half of all DSS schools in Hong Kong
- Education Bureau Deputy Secretary Lee Bik-sin (李碧茜) said 170 student-visa holders are studying in DSS schools this year under the self-financing arrangement.
- The bureau said the total was up 13% year on year, and described the scheme’s opening phase as a good start with early results.
- Lee said seven DSS schools had admitted non-local students for a second consecutive year, while seven additional schools enrolled overseas students this year.
- The non-local students came from Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Europe and the United States, with schools offering peer support, pastoral care and adaptation programmes.
Why It Matters
The government is positioning the scheme as part of Hong Kong’s push to build itself into an international education hub, while insisting extra places for student-visa holders should not affect places for local students. The bureau is also moving to address accommodation concerns by helping the DSS Council draw up an operating code for student housing and set up a committee to monitor compliance.