Hong Kong says non-local enrollment at direct subsidy schools rose 13%
The Education Bureau says 170 students holding visas enrolled this academic year as it plans further overseas promotion and accommodation rules for the pilot.
Hong Kong’s Education Bureau said on 21 October that 170 non-local students holding student visas enrolled in the city’s Direct Subsidy Scheme schools this academic year, a 13% increase from the previous year, according to the South China Morning Post. The self-financing enrollment is part of a pilot to bring more overseas pupils into primary and secondary schools.
The bureau said the figure came from its September enrollment count. The increase amounts to around 20 more students than last year, the South China Morning Post reported. Deputy secretary for education Ida Lee Bik-sai set out the figures in a bureau blog post about the pilot.
How the Direct Subsidy Scheme pilot is expanding
The pilot adds places for non-local students holding student visas at participating Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, with the students paying their own costs. The bureau said 48 schools, more than half of all schools in the scheme, had been approved to participate. Seven additional schools admitted overseas students this academic year, following seven schools that had done so for two consecutive years.
The students came from places including Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, the United States and European countries, according to the bureau. The schools span primary and secondary education. For pupils arriving from abroad, the bureau said schools offered peer assistance, care and courses to help them adjust to academic and campus life.
Overseas recruitment and student accommodation
The Education Bureau said it had promoted the pilot overseas with the Direct Subsidy Scheme Council, including visits to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia earlier in 2026. It plans to strengthen overseas promotion and build recruitment and publicity networks as it seeks more prospective pupils. The bureau did not announce a target for future enrollment.
The bureau also said it would help the council develop a code of practice for student accommodation and establish a committee to review operators’ compliance. It said it would continue reviewing the pilot, listen to views about its operation and make adjustments when appropriate. Those plans concern the practical support available to pupils recruited from overseas as the scheme develops.
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Sources and context
- Semi-private schools admit 20 more non-local students under expansion schemeSouth China Morning Post
- 「直資擴容」譜寫「留學香港」新篇章Hong Kong Education Bureau
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