Education Bureau EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG INTRODUCTION Examination (HKCEE) and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE). In Hong Kong, children between the ages of three and five could receive The Government’s language policy kindergarten education at kindergartens is to enable students to be biliterate (to which are privately run. The Government master written Chinese and English) and provides 12 years’ free primary and trilingual (to speak fluent Cantonese, secondary education to all children through Putonghua and English). Chinese and public sector schools, which form the English are taught as core subjects in majority in the school system. These primary and secondary schools. While consist of government schools operated Chinese is the medium of instruction (MOI) directly by the Government and aided in most primary schools, secondary schools that are generally run by religious schools have implemented the fine-tuned or charitable organisations. Eligible MOI arrangements from the 2010/11 children from the age of six, irrespective of school year. The MOI arrangements of sex, ethnic origin, religious or ethical secondary schools have hence become belief, family status and physical or mental diversified with Chinese and English as the ability, have the right to enjoy basic MOI within and across schools to meet the education in public sector schools. To meet ability and learning needs of students and the different needs of students, there are to increase their exposure to, and use of, other types of schools, namely Direct English so as to prepare them for future Subsidy Scheme schools and self-financed studies and careers. private schools. Starting from the 2008/09 school year, the Government has provided The Government ensures equal full subvention for full-time programmes opportunities in school admission for all offered by the Vocational Training Council eligible children (including non-Chinese (VTC) for Secondary 3 school leavers, speaking (NCS) children) in public sector making available an alternative free schools, regardless of their races. The avenue for students to further their studies Education Bureau (EDB) provides various other than through mainstream education. education services for NCS students and supports the work of school administrators, The three-year senior secondary teachers and parents. Parents of NCS curriculum under the New Academic children are encouraged to arrange for their Structure has been implemented in children to study in schools with an Secondary 4 since September 2009, immersed Chinese language environment leading to one public examination at the as early as possible to facilitate their end of Secondary 6 - the Hong Kong mastery of the Chinese language. The Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Government has also put in place various Examination which replaces the former support measures for NCS students to help Hong Kong Certificate of Education them adapt to the local education system, 1 details of which are also available at the Induction Programme EDB’s dedicated webpage: https://www.edb.gov.hk/ncs The EDB also invites NGOs to run a 60-hour Induction Programme for newly SUPPORT SERVICES FOR NEW arrived children. The programme contents ARRIVALS include knowing the environment, basic learning skills and basic Chinese and To render timely and appropriate English. Further details are also available support to newly arrived children for them at the EDB website: to integrate smoothly into the local http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-parents education system and wider community, /newly-arrived-children/services/index.ht the EDB has been providing school ml placement services to these children after their arrival in Hong Kong. They can School-based Support Scheme Grant choose to enroll into a full-time six-month Initiation Programme prior to their entry to To help newly arrived children to mainstream schools. For those who choose cope with the learning environment in to enter mainstream schools directly, the local schools, the EDB provides public EDB has commissioned non-governmental sector schools and DSS schools with the organisations (NGOs) to operate a SBSS Grant. Schools can flexibly make part-time 60-hour Induction Programme use of the grant to run school-based for them. Public sector schools (referring support programmes (e.g. supplementary to government, aided and caput schools) language classes) for the children. and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS), admitting these children Placement Service will also be provided with a School-based Support Scheme (SBSS) Grant to operate Our school system is open to all school-based support programmes for students, including NCS students. For all them. students, enquiry about their eligibility to study in public sector schools in Hong Initiation Programme Kong may be made to the schools directly, and to the EDB through the enquiry hotline Some schools run full-time 6-month at 2891 0088 or to the Regional Education Initiation Programme for newly arrived Offices (addresses and telephone numbers children. The programme provides these given on page 7). More information students with real classroom experience so about the placement service is also as to enhance their Chinese and English available at the EDB website: language standards, help them adjust to the http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-paren local society and foster their personal ts/placement-assistance/about-placement development. Placement assistance to -assistance/index.html mainstream schools is provided after completing the programme. The addresses KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION and telephone numbers of schools operating the Initiation Programme for Among the 1 049 kindergartens in newly arrived NCS children are provided the 2019/20 school year, around 160 are at Annex I. Full details are also available offering non-local curriculum. However, at the EDB website: NCS children are encouraged to enroll in http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-paren local kindergartens, which use Chinese as ts/newly-arrived-children/services/index. the medium of instruction, to facilitate html their integration into the community as early as possible. Some kindergartens 2 operating with an attached child care incurred from the students’ kindergarten centre (kindergarten-cum-child care education under the Scheme. For details, centres) also provide child care services for parents can visit children aged below 3. http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/prepri mary/grantkg/overview.htm or call the Enquiry about kindergartens may be application enquiry hotline at 2802 2345. made to the EDB through the enquiry hotline at 2891 0088 or to the Regional List of kindergartens offering Education Offices (see page 7) / Joint language subjects other than Chinese and Office for Kindergartens and Child Care English is given at Annex II. Centres at Room 602, 6/F, Cityplaza 3, 14 Taikoo Wan Road, Hong Kong at PRIMARY EDUCATION 3107 2197. The lists of kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres are Among the public sector primary also available at the EDB website: schools, almost all of them are using http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/student-paren Chinese as the medium of instruction, with ts/sch-info/sch-search/schlist-by-district/ English taught as a core subject from index.html Primary 1. NCS children are encouraged to enroll in local primary schools, to The Government has implemented facilitate their integration into the the new kindergarten education scheme community as early as possible. (Scheme) starting from the 2017/18 school year. The policy objectives are to provide Some primary schools in Hong good quality and highly affordable Kong are offering language subjects other kindergarten education, and enhance the than Chinese and English. List of schools accessibility of students to different modes is given at Annex III. of services that suit their specific needs. More information is available at the EDB website: SECONDARY EDUCATION http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/pr eprimary-kindergarten/free-quality-kg-e Starting with Secondary 1 level from du/index.html the 2010/11 school year onwards, all the existing public sector secondary schools Needy families may apply for have been given greater flexibility in financial assistance in the form of fee enriching their English learning remission under the Kindergarten and environment by introducing different MOI Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme arrangements to suit different needs of (KCFRS) for their children who are their students. attending kindergartens under the Scheme. For details, parents can visit All eligible Primary 6 students can http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/eng/schem be allocated a subsidised Secondary 1 es/kinder.htm or call the application place through the Secondary School Places enquiry hotline at 2802 2345. Allocation System. They can also choose to apply for admission to schools joining In addition to fee remission, needy the Direct Subsidy Scheme, private schools families may apply for the Grant for and international schools direct. School-related Expenses for Kindergarten Students. Applicants who can pass the List of secondary schools offering means test and meet the same eligibility language subjects other than Chinese and criteria under the KCFRS are eligible for English is given at Annex IV. More the grant to defray school-related expenses information about the examinations is also 3 available at Hong Kong Examinations and professional support. The additional Assessment Authority (HKEAA) website: funding allows schools to adopt diversified