More than 70 per cent of Hong Kong kindergartens shedding staff, survey reveals, as emigration and Covid-19 pandemic hits sector

More than 70 per cent of 240 kindergartens and nursery schools polled in Hong Kong say they have laid off teachers this academic year or plan to do so, with nearly half experiencing a significant withdrawal of pupils.

Emigration and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic were given as the main reasons for children being pulled out of preschool, according to the Federation of Education Workers, which carried out the survey.

The federation said the drop in pupil enrolment was expected to continue over the next few years because of the city’s falling birth rate, as it called on education authorities to increase subsidies for kindergartens to ease the financial blow.

Of the city’s 1,050 kindergartens, about 760 are non-profit and heavily subsidised by the government based on pupil headcount. Most half-day classes at such schools are free with relatively low full-day fees, costing thousands of Hong Kong dollars a year.

But pre-nursery courses, which are for children under three but not compulsory under the Hong Kong education system, usually charge higher rates as they receive lower levels of subsidy. Private independent kindergartens often charge fees above HK$100,000 per year.

Government figures showed at least 11 kindergartens ceased operations during the pandemic, with three shutting down or expected to close in the 2021-22 academic year.

The federation’s survey of 239 kindergartens and nursery schools, conducted in January, found 45 per cent of them had each lost between 11 and 40 pupils to withdrawals since last August. Thirteen kindergartens reported more than 40 pupils dropping out from pre-nursery sessions.