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Ng Kang-chung

Hong Kong authorities have defended a controversial subsidy cut for the kindergarten sector for the coming financial year, saying the low birth rate and resultant shrinking pupil population have prompted a reassessment of education policy priorities.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Friday that the government would channel more resources towards promoting “high-quality education” and adopt a more targeted approach to helping pupils in need.
According to the 2026-27 budget, which was unveiled on Wednesday, the early childhood sector will receive HK$4.5 billion (US$575 million) from the government, a drop of 6.6 per cent from the current financial year ending on March 31.
The government will also scrap two grants that fund kindergarten activities and the hiring of supply teachers. The policies cost authorities HK$15.9 million and HK$24.9 million, respectively, in the last school year.
In a media briefing to explain the measures, Choi said: “Hong Kong’s population structure is undergoing changes, with a decline in birth rate and a fall in the school-aged population.”
The government has estimated that there will be just 105,800 toddlers enrolled in kindergartens in the next school year, 79,000 of whom will attend subsidised institutions, both of which are record lows.
“The government’s investment in education has not actually decreased. It is just that resources are now being more flexibly allocated according to the actual situation,” Choi said.
She said the cuts had followed a comprehensive review by the Education Bureau.
“We are of the view that [the cut] will not affect the operation of kindergartens,” the minister said, adding that there were still more than 10 government grants available to kindergartens.




In comparison, government cuts to the primary and secondary education sectors stood at less than 2 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, spending will increase by 4 per cent for the tertiary and vocational education sectors.
The latest budget did not reintroduce a HK$2,500 grant for secondary, primary and kindergarten pupils, despite its scrapping last year under cost-cutting measures prompting a backlash.
Choi said on Friday that the government planned to use its allocated funds to further promote “high-quality education”.
“We hope to allocate our resources to help push up education quality,” she said, citing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in curricula and AI training for teachers as examples.
“This is to be in line with the national development laid down in the 15th five-year plan for 2026–30.”
At the same briefing, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also vowed to continue efforts to attract talent to the city.
“Although it seems there is not much coverage about it in the budget, Hong Kong attracts talent through its institutional strength, not by increasing expenditure,” he said.
In the latest budget, government spending on education is forecast to reach HK$112 billion in 2026-27, accounting for 13.3 per cent of total estimated government expenditure. The figure is 1 per cent higher than the 2025-26 revised estimate.
On the social welfare front, expenditure is expected to reach HK$148.1 billion, about 17.6 per cent of total government spending for 2026-27, and 14.4 per cent higher than the 2025-26 revised estimate.


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Education chief Christine Choi says government will channel more resources into pushing ‘high-quality education’


Education chief Christine Choi says government will channel more resources into pushing ‘high-quality education’.


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Chris Sun Yuk-han

Hong Kong budget 2026-27: minister defends cuts to kindergarten subsidy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Education chief Christine Choi says government will channel more resources into pushing ‘high-quality education’

Education chief Christine Choi says government will channel more resources into pushing ‘high-quality education’