Education & learning

As a knowledge-based economy, Hong Kong cultivates an environment where students can stretch their potential, gain all-round knowledge and develop perspectives in different areas. The city has robust education infrastructure, world-renowned universities, vibrant research talent as well as quality basic and special education. It is the only city with five universities in the world’s top 100 and is ranked fourth globally for education competitiveness.

The government’s recurrent expenditure on education has increased by 48% over the past decade, with an average growth rate of 4.4% per annum. There are also greater efforts to integrate students with special education needs (SEN) and children from ethnic minority groups and underprivileged families. The objective is to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to thrive and be active participants of their own intellectual and personal growth.

Still there are challenges to overcome. In the past few years, the local education sector has experienced a brain drain. In the 2022/23 academic year, more than 6,700 teachers quit their job, representing a 25% year-on-year increase. The high attrition rate may hinder teaching, adding to teachers’ already heavy workload and affect students’ learning progress.

Pupils from low-income families are also facing barriers to acquiring quality education. In particular, disadvantaged students are often disproportionately affected by economic issues since they are more sensitive to the availability of learning resources and opportunities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, economically deprived students suffered more as learning was moved online while many of them did not have sufficient resources to support.

In addition, more needs to be done to remove learning obstacles for the city’s over 64,000 SEN students, who may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down’s syndrome, etc.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is dedicated to fostering a vibrant education landscape in Hong Kong. Adopting an inclusive approach, we support numerous education-related initiatives and strive to leave no one behind. We promote social mobility by bridging developmental gaps of young children and equipping them with essential skills for the 21st century, digital literacy and knowledge in different disciplines, regardless of their backgrounds. We also help facilitate delivery of carefully designed teaching materials and training for teachers, with the aim of helping teachers develop future-ready skills and competencies.