The government has announced a 10 per cent reduction in operating subsidies for Hong Kong primary and secondary schools from September 2026, according to i-CABLE News. The cut has raised concerns about pressure on school budgets.
Tang Fei, the Legislative Council member for the education sector, discussed the issue on a radio programme on 4 September. He said some schools were under greater operating pressure because they did not have enough classes, and could even face deficits.
Tang said the impact could be particularly serious for non-teaching staff. Schools might reduce their hiring of clerks and janitors as they seek to manage the lower subsidy, he said.
He also said extracurricular activities might no longer be provided entirely free using schools’ internal resources. Some schools could need to charge students for certain activities or hire fewer extracurricular activity instructors, although these were potential effects rather than confirmed outcomes.
The reports differ in how they describe the timing and calculation of the reduction. Star Headline reported that the component subsidies under the Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant had been cut by about 10 per cent a year for two consecutive years, while i-CABLE described a 10 per cent cut taking effect from September 2026. The supplied reports do not clarify whether the accounts refer to different parts of the subsidy or different calculation methods.
Tang urged the government to halt the cuts and said he had conveyed views from different sides to the authorities. He told i-CABLE he hoped the reduction would be stopped in the next Budget. Star Headline reported that the next Policy Address was expected to be delivered in mid-September 2026.