Your bookmarked countries have an update since your last login. View Bookmarks x

Latest Country Updates
Jan 27, 2023

Universities in Hong Kong will require students to pass national education courses before graduating

Universities in Hong Kong will require students to pass national education courses before graduating. Broadcasting national achievements on campus and voluntary walking tours among additional initiatives planned by universities to foster identity among students.

Learn more »

Jan 12, 2023

Hong Kong schools cut more than 40 Form One classes amid student population drop

Reduction in classes for 2022-23 academic year marks 20 per cent increase compared with the previous one. ‘The [Education Bureau] should seriously consider opening up our schools to other regions,’ Tang Fei, secondary school principal and lawmaker, says

Learn more »

Oct 28, 2022

A third of 2022 HKDSE students apply for results recheck

Out of the 2022 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exam candidates, 15,815, or 33 percent of students, applied for their results to be rechecked and remarked.

Learn more »

Sep 27, 2022

Hong Kong tells schools to ramp up national education as more ‘key calendar dates’ added for campus activities

Hong Kong schools have been strongly advised to plan more national education activities to foster better understanding of Chinese history among students under the latest government guidelines, sparking concerns that teachers will be overloaded.

Learn more »

Sep 22, 2022

Hong Kong education authorities reject survival plans by 2 under-enrolled secondary schools

Hong Kong education authorities have rejected survival plans proposed by two under-enrolled secondary schools, with one set to close its doors in 2026, while the other will operate with fewer subsidies in the coming academic year.

Learn more »

Sep 8, 2022

Percentage of Hong Kong pupils getting secondary school place at 1 of their top 3 choices hits record high

Education Bureau says 49,448 eligible Primary Six children joined the secondary school places allocation system for 2022-23 academic year. Satisfaction rate is the highest since 2007 when a revised allocation system was implemented.

Learn more »

Aug 23, 2022

Secondary schools in Hong Kong close ranks to appeal for class size reduction amid fall in pupil numbers

All secondary schools in city say class numbers should be frozen and sizes reduced as pupil numbers decline. Teachers’ groups accuse government of failure to act in the face of ‘incessant and significant’ drop in pupil numbers.

Learn more »

Aug 23, 2022

Hong Kong to include Korean in DSE university entrance exam from 2025 amid K-Culture boom

French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Hindi and Urdu are currently offered as part of the foreign language category of the city’s university entrance exam. From 2025, students will be able to submit scores from the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), which is a Korean language test for non-native speakers.

Learn more »

Aug 3, 2022

Hong Kong students in mainland get to sit DSE exams from 2024

Mainland students can sit the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education exams from 2024 and they can do the written tests needed to enter university from across the border. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority said yesterday it has received applications from schools in the mainland to participate.

Learn more »

Jul 28, 2022

Hong Kong DSE 2022 changes to English exam draws mixed response from students

Changes to this year’s Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) English exams have drawn mixed responses from students, with some saying they struggled to finish the reading test due to the additional questions, and others welcoming the adjustments.

Learn more »

Jul 19, 2022

Hong Kong to include Korean in university entrance exam

French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Hindi and Urdu are currently offered as part of the foreign language category of the city’s university entrance exam. From 2025, students will be able to submit scores from the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), which is a Korean language test for non-native speakers.

Learn more »

May 10, 2022

Hong Kong university entrance exams will go ahead as scheduled

Education chief Kevin Yeung says centres will be set up at the government isolation facility for exam candidates who are close contacts of Covid-19 patients or infected themselves.

Learn more »

Apr 25, 2022

Hong Kong in-person classes from kindergartens to secondary schools to resume in stages until mid-May

Students will stagger return due to Covid-19, higher forms will be first to be back on campuses from April 19 for half-day classes. Full-day classes unlikely for primary schools and kindergartens so soon, says Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung.

Learn more »

Apr 18, 2022

Hong Kong’s exam authority cancels English-speaking assessment amid Omicron outbreak

Speaking exam, part of curriculum for university entry, cancelled for three consecutive years. Exam authority chief says proximity required for English oral assessment could lead to ‘higher risk of [virus] transmissions’.

Learn more »

Dec 3, 2021

Dozens of Hong Kong schools hit by falling enrolment face ‘inevitable’ closures as 40,000 families leave city

Dozens of Hong Kong primary and secondary schools face closure as a result of falling enrolment, a situation made worse by the departure of about 40,000 families who emigrated over the past year, according to the head of the city’s biggest pro-establishment education group.

Learn more »

Dec 3, 2021

Hong Kong pupils ‘can get full marks’ for national security law questions under new marking scheme

Marking guidelines for the revamped subject say candidates can get full marks if their answers mention positive impact of law on city and cite government data in support

Learn more »

Jun 15, 2021

Hong Kong principals, teachers could be liable for students’ national security law violations if they fail to intervene

Principals and teachers can be held responsible if they ignore or fail to stop violations of the national security law by their pupils, Hong Kong’s education minister has said in explaining controversial new guidelines for schools covering the Beijing-imposed legislation.

Learn more »

Jun 14, 2021

Teachers, principal stranded in Britain by Covid-19 travel ban as Hong Kong international schools reopen

Education Bureau had advised teachers, students not to travel in December because of pandemic. Currently, there are 14 teachers, head of Harrow International School unable to return after spending year-end holidays in Britain.

Learn more »

Apr 1, 2021

Hong Kong to rename liberal studies and require students visit mainland China

Hong Kong will rename the liberal studies programme taught to older students and require they visit mainland China as part of wide-reaching reforms to the controversial subject. Some teachers express alarm over the changes, noting not all align with suggestions made in a three-year review by a task force.

Learn more »

Mar 25, 2021

Education Bureau finds ‘inadequacies’ in development of history exams for Hong Kong secondary school students

A government task force investigating the development of this year’s history exams for secondary school students has concluded a Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) officer did not do his job properly.

Learn more »

ARCHIVED COUNTRY STUDY: (PDF)

There are 3 archived country studies available. Log in to view them.

Hong Kong SAR, China

Overview

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR) is at the gateway of the Pearl River Delta and Guangdong Province in China. The population of Hong Kong is over six million people. Hong Kong's ninety-nine year history as a British colony ended on July 1, 1997 when Hong Kong and the New Territories were returned to Chinese sovereignty. Hong Kong retains a high degree of autonomy in all areas except foreign affairs and defense. Its present free market system and lifestyle, including education, are to remain unchanged until 2047.

Hong Kong's historic role as Asia's major economic broker has been challenged by Singapore to the south and Shanghai to the north. The 1997 Asian economic meltdown impacted Hong Kong just as the British were changing the guard for the last time. A few years later SARS arrived with a further negative impact on Hong Kong's economy.

Education

The Hong Kong education system, overseen by the Education Bureau and with roots in the British examination system, has restricted access to higher education. For example, since 1994, only a total of 14,500 places have been available for first year students at universities supported by the Hong Kong government. As a result the government has proposed short and long term education reforms.

Education reforms have included changing the medium of instruction (MOI) from English to mostly Chinese at the secondary school level, modifying the curriculum, expanding IT in education, creating additional educational opportunities for secondary school leavers and other management issues. Proposed reforms have included relying less on assessment by examination and restructuring the education ladder to six years primary, three years lower secondary, three years senior secondary and four years tertiary.

To expand educational opportunities for secondary school leavers, the Hong Kong government provided funds in 2002 to both public and private providers to establish associate degree programs on a fee-paying basis. Scholarship assistance was also available for students. A major goal for local students who enter the associate degree program is to gain admission to a Hong Kong university. Other students enroll in off-shore ordinary bachelor degree programs through the continuing education unit(s) of Hong Kong universities. A few apply for transfer credit to US four-year institutions.

Hong Kong has one educational system/district that is "governed" by two complementary but powerful governmental agencies including the University Grants Committee which has financial oversight of tertiary education as well as the Education Bureau that oversees the development of education policy at all levels.

The academic year of post-secondary institutions is from September to April or May. The majority of the programs operate on a two-semester system, while some programs are on a three-semester system. Please consult the individual institution's website for specific information.

The language of Instruction at most institutions, depending on the program, will be either English or Chinese.

BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. JOIN OUR LISTSERV. Subscribe

Upcoming AACRAO Events

On-Demand Learning

Self-Paced | Online

Self-paced courses aligned with our competency and proficiency framework, AACRAO's on-demand training will build your skills and enhance your resume. 

Courses in:

  • Compliance
  • FERPA
  • International
  • and more

Learn More

SEM_2020_1440x400 update

The International Institute

The AACRAO International Institute covers promising practices for the evaluation of international credentials that combines AACRAO’s On-Demand International Series with five, two-hour, virtual instructor-led training sessions.

Learn More
AACRAO International Institute Banner