Hong Kong primary schools encouraged to merge with offer of HK$1 million, 3-year retention period for affected teachers
- Education Bureau unveils policy as city records lowest Primary One enrolment in 14 years, with just 42,277 children registering for public schools for next academic year
- Industry chiefs welcome new scheme as step in right direction, but some say funds might not be enough to encourage dedicated school bodies to make the leap
Hong Kong primary schools that agree to combine with other institutions will receive HK$1 million (US$127,700) per merger and be allowed to retain affected teachers for three years under a new scheme amid a decline in the student population.
The Education Bureau published a circular on Friday unveiling the policy to encourage primary schools with low enrolment numbers to join up with other campuses by offering one-off payments and a guaranteed retention period for teachers facing redundancy.
“Schools may consider merging with another school to consolidate resources, and enhance synergy and the quality of learning and teaching,” the bureau wrote.
Primary One enrolment has fallen to its lowest level in 14 years as only 42,277 children registered for public schools for the next academic year.
The situation is expected to worsen in the coming years. The number of births in 2022 and 2023 respectively stood at 32,500 and 33,200, with not all of the prospective pupils likely to enrol at local schools.
The bureau has called for more primary and secondary schools to undergo mergers, but sponsoring bodies have so far shunned the idea over concerns the scheme would act as an indirect method of closing down campuses.
Under the current policy, subsidised and government schools must secure a minimum of 16 students through the Primary One admission system or close down within three years.
Schools facing closure have three alternatives. They can merge with other institutions, request a special review by education authorities or operate a Primary One class without government funding.
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The government earlier offered secondary schools HK$500,000 to merge with other institutions as a similar move in response to the declining student population.
Two principals and an education sector lawmaker welcomed the scheme announced on Friday and said it would ease the pressure faced by schools’ managements and sponsoring bodies.
“I think the money incentive will drive some schools with insufficient student enrolment in the same district to consider merging,” said Chu Kwok-keung, a lawmaker for the education sector.
“Teachers do not need to worry that they will lose their jobs once their school merges with another one, as there will be a natural loss in three years.”
So Ping-fai, chairman of the Subsidised Primary Schools Council, said the HK$1 million allowance would come in handy for campus work during school mergers, but was not a sufficient incentive to motivate institutions to make the jump.
“No school will want it. All schools in Hong Kong are passionate about their work and want to continue despite the fall in population,” he said.
So, who is a school principal, expected the new arrangement would encourage sponsoring bodies to pursue mergers between their own institutions, as similarities between top management and teaching styles would make the transition easier.
While he said the three-year retention period was sufficient for both school management and teachers, he implored the bureau to consider aligning its allowance for primary and secondary school mergers.
Polly Chan Suk-yee, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association and principal, said the policy was an improvement from the previous lack of government support for mergers.
“The bureau hopes that it won’t be them closing schools actively, but that the matter may be dealt with on the level of school management to reduce discontent caused by abrupt closures, such as a substantial amount of teachers having to look for jobs or losing the hope for survival,” Chan said.
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Two aided schools in Hong Kong’s Eastern district, Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School and the Salvation Army Centaline Charity Fund School, earlier announced they would begin merging at the start of the next academic year after the latter failed to enrol enough Primary One students last year.
The government also took the lead in combining its schools, with the North Point Government Primary School (Cloud View Road) in Wan Chai district and North Point Government Primary School in Quarry Bay to start joining together next year after the former failed to admit enough students.
