Parents react to abolished HK$2500 education grant from budget address

The cancellation of the HK$2,500 education subsidy has drawn mixed reactions among parents about the latest budget plan, which aims to reduce education expenditures.

Cammy To, 34, a mother with a daughter in kindergarten, said she does not consider the grant to be very impactful for her daughter’s education. 

“My child studies in full-day kindergarten. A month of tuition fee with meal fee is almost HK$1,500. One semester’s textbook fee is about HK$1,100. So a HK$2,500 grant for a year is just better than not having any subsidies,” she added.

The grant did not require a means test for application, making it accessible to all families.

According to the Education Bureau, around 800,000 applications of the HK$2,500 grant succeeded and nearly HK$2 thousand million were given to households in the academic year of 2023/24.

Lan Wong, 53, a parent to a primary school student, expressed confusion about the proposal after the abolishment was proposed. 

“The original grant did not require a means test that both rich and poor could get it,” said Wong. 

She added that removing it all of a sudden is unfair for some families, especially for those who need this yearly subsidy. 

Christine Choi, the head of the Education Bureau, commented on March 7 during a press conference that the abolition was a necessary step to decrease the government’s expenditure while maintaining educational standards in Hong Kong.

“The HK$2,500 grant was introduced as a relief measure, we had announced beforehand that it was designed to alleviate challenges,” said Choi. “Families in need could apply for other subsidies that the government is currently providing.”

Professor Cheung Chi-keung, the Head of the Department of Educational Administration and Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also expressed concern.

“Removing subsidies for education is deteriorating Hong Kong’s talent cultivation in the long term, yet the education sector is obligated to get through the toughest time with the government,” said Cheung.

The HK$2,500 subsidy is proposed to be abolished from the 2025/26 academic year. Although not mentioned in the budget speech, it is stated briefly under the Analysis of Financial and Staffing Provision of General Revenue report for the Education Bureau in the published budget address.

The government has provided this one-off student grant as part of a HK$19.1 billion relief package announced in August 2019. Secondary day school, primary school, and kindergarten students are eligible for this subsidy aimed at overcoming financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.