By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-04 12:11:30 | Updated at 2025-03-04 16:00:45
4 hours ago
Twenty-nine kindergartens in Hong Kong closed down before the start of the current school year, the most in more than a decade, according to the latest government budget, with authorities expecting a further 8 per cent drop in preschool enrolment in the coming year.
But the government said there was a significant 42 per cent increase in the number of newly arrived pupils aged six to 18 enrolled in the induction programme in the current school year, with the high level expected to remain in the next school year.
The number of kindergartens dropped by nearly 2.9 per cent to 980 in the current school year, sliding from 1,009 previously, according to budget estimates.
Eight were preschools joining the kindergarten education scheme, under which the government will provide subsidies to offer quality half-day service for all eligible children aged between three and six based on the number of pupils the preschools received.
The remaining 21 were private local kindergartens or non-local schools, according to the Post’s calculations.
It was also the biggest drop in the total number of preschools in a year since data started to be made available in 2013.
