Editorial | Hong Kong cannot afford to fail in education as pupil numbers fall

Last week’s typhoon may have slightly delayed the opening of a new school term, but it is shrinking enrolments that still cloud the long-term prospects of the Hong Kong education system. Administrators and authorities need to pursue a holistic response that goes beyond immediate plans to attract students from the mainland.

Ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Saola, kindergarten, primary and secondary classes were cancelled on Friday, the initial first day of the new term. When classes did get under way in the wake of the storm on Monday, demographic headwinds remained in the mind of Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, who defended her decision to cut more than 80 Primary One classes at public schools as a good use of resources given the population loss.

Officials have blamed shrinking student numbers on a wave of emigration and a low birth rate. The number of six-year-olds is expected to fall to 50,000 in 2029 from 57,300 this year, and those aged 12 to drop from 71,600 to 60,100 over the same period.

Some schools have reduced class sizes rather than cut entire classes. There may be some merit in this approach for now. Some experts have argued that small-class teaching will help students rebuild academic and social skills after missing three years of in-person instruction during the pandemic.

Officials are also trying to convince parents in nearby cities on the mainland to send their children to Hong Kong to study. The first outreach programme is planned for Friday with the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council leading a roadshow in Shenzhen. Such projects must be coupled with moves to ensure cross-border travel remains smooth for commuting pupils.

Authorities are also being asked to do more homework when it comes to supporting higher education. Our Hong Kong Foundation, a think tank, suggested on Monday that the proportion of non-local undergraduates at universities be increased. The group said a rise from the current 20 per cent to 50 per cent of students from outside the city, with a focus on recruiting from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), could help transform the city into a global education hub.