Education secretary Christine Choi on Friday said that a scheme which encourages and supports publicly-funded primary and secondary schools to merge would pave the way for better education amid a drop in the city's student population.

Speaking on an RTHK radio show to explain the city’s first five-year plan and Policy Address, she said that the “Confluence and Elevation – School Excellence Project” would be launched in the 2027/28 academic year at the earliest, and her bureau was currently discussing the details with relevant stakeholders.

"The main objective is to encourage school sponsoring bodies to pool their resources, rather than treating this as an option when there is a crisis in student enrolment or when they are allocated zero classes," she said.

"Therefore, we will be more flexible and accommodating in our policies, and offer as much support and convenience as possible."

Choi said there would be a cap on the scheme, and that the government had to be very selective.

For instance, when it comes to operating schools with unique characteristics, the minister said the scale of the school cannot be too small, stressing that it is equally important to have high-quality courses and teaching standards.

She said that while aided schools could merge with Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, the two cannot merge with government schools.

This is because teachers at government schools are civil servants, Choi said, and a merger between aided and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools would result in relatively minor issues.

The minister noted that following a merger, the two schools might get to retain both campuses during the transition period as one might not be able to accommodate all pupils.

As for a surplus in teaching staff, the minister said her bureau would set aside resources to assist those in need.




Edited by Tony Sabine