Enrolment rate plunges at over 70 pc of kindergartens

Almost 70 percent of kindergartens have seen a decline in enrolments, while kindergartens on average have lost about 13 percent of students since the fifth wave of the epidemic, according to a survey conducted by a teachers’ group.

The Hong Kong Federation of Educators interviewed 235 kindergartens and found that 71 percent reported that the number of students enrolling in K1 half-day classes in the 2022-2023 school year has decreased by an average of 29 percent compared to last year’s figures.

Each school also lost an average of 16 students in half-day classes, accounts for about 13 percent of the average kindergarten student population. Preschool classes lost 19 students on average, accounting for about 27 percent of the student population.

The federation also found that 73 percent of kindergartens will lay off an average of 2 to 3 teachers in the coming school year. Teachers at 18 percent of the schools will be able to keep their positions, but a third of the kindergartens interviewed will freeze the teachers’ salaries, while 21 percent are still undecided.

The federation calls on the government to provide more subsidies to help mitigate financial pressure and ensure that schools are guaranteed access to education expenditure.
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