Two-thirds of Hong Kong private colleges fell short of 2020 enrolment goals – often badly
- Dwindling number of high school leavers means more spots available at city’s public universities, upping pressure on self-financing institutions
- Sector experts also note protests, Covid-19 pandemic mean fewer mainland Chinese students are looking at options across border
More than two-thirds of Hong Kong’s private tertiary institutions failed to meet their enrolment targets this year amid a continuing decline in the number of high school leavers, with one meeting just 10 per cent of its goal and another recording no new enrolments at all.
The latest figures from the Education Bureau show that among the city’s 28 self-financing colleges – which serve mainly those whose exam results do not gain them entry to public universities – at least 19 were unable to meet their hoped-for enrolments for the 2020-21 academic year.
Sector representatives said apart from a drop in Hong Kong’s student population, the double whammy of last year’s anti-government protests and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had also made it less likely pupils from mainland China would seek to study in the city.
Given that the places available at local public universities remained the same while the student population has decreased year-on-year, the pressure has all come down to our sector
“It is not unexpected. Given that the places available at local public universities remained the same while the student population has decreased year-on-year, the pressure has all come down to our sector,” said Professor Peter Yuen Pok-man, dean of Polytechnic University’s College of Professional and Continuing Education.
The number of high school leavers has dropped significantly, from about 57,000 in 2016 to 46,000 this year, but there has been no change to the approximately 15,000 first-year undergraduate programme placements available at eight publicly funded universities.
That means a higher percentage of applicants are gaining entry, leaving fewer in need of the more than 30,000 places offered by self-financing institutions that provide bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and higher diplomas.
A Post analysis of enrolment data provided by the bureau on Wednesday found 17 of the 28 private tertiary institutions recorded a drop in admission figures compared with last year.