The new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination has just finished, so the peak season for tutoring centres is over. In a few months, some of the Secondary Six students who attended tutorial centres in preparation for this year's HKDSE will enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Changes in the exam structure and education reforms have led to a surge of students joining cram schools which mainly cater to senior secondary students who are tackling public exams.
This has helped private tutoring schools like Modern Education, King's Glory and Beacon College to flourish.
A South China Morning Post article described how Fred Chan Yiu-fai, a secondary school economics teacher, set up his own private tuition school, Champagne Education, several years ago and claims to be earning 'millions'. According to the article, Modern Education was worth HK$150 million on the stock market last year.
But the popularity of tutoring centres has been steadily growing for some time.
Even before the education reforms, the pressure to excel in exams to guarantee a university place has seen students increasingly turn to cram schools and mock papers.