Hong Kong schools urged to find ‘way out’ over falling student numbers

Professor John Lee has expressed hope that authorities will maintain their commitment to teacher training.

Photo: Elson Li The head of Hong Kong’s largest teacher training institution has urged all school governing bodies in the city to find a “way out” to handle dwindling student numbers.

Professor John Lee Chi-kin, president of the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), also said on Monday that schools should develop their own features and strengths, stressing that teacher training should not be ignored despite the falling numbers.

His remarks follow an announcement by education authorities two weeks ago that 15 primary schools – a record high in recent years – would not be allowed to operate subsidised Primary One classes in the coming school year because of insufficient student enrolment.

Under current policies, those primaries will have to close down if their survival plans are not approved after three years, while authorities have been encouraging schools to consider mergers with others. “Every school has an incorporated management committee.

It has to discuss with the school head and teachers a way out at a suitable juncture.

It needs everyone’s wisdom as there are numerous ways out,” Lee said.

He noted that all schools had to face the effects of the student population’s structural decline and consider how to tackle the issue, adding that universities should also address the matter for their mid- and long-term development.

The Education University of Hong Kong trains 70 per cent of the city’s teachers.

Photo: Roy Issa EdUHK, which trains more than 70 per cent of the teachers in the city’s primary, secondary and special schools, as well as kindergartens, has switched to a dual-degree mode from this academic year on to offer graduates greater career flexibility.

Lee expressed hope that authorities would maintain their commitment to teacher training, calling the profession an important component of society and a cornerstone for nurturing talent. “The government should not ignore teacher training because of the decline of the population.

I hope the government will still put an emphasis on education,” he said.

The number of children born in 2020 – those expected to enter primary school in the coming academic year – fell to 43,000.

The numbers from 2021 to 2025 were in a downward trend with only 31,100 newborns last year – another record low.

Last year, EdUHK identified “financial sustainability” as one of six principal risks for the ins

原文链接: 南华早报