Latest news with #DirectSubsidyScheme
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why are more Hong Kong pupils opting for IB programme over DSE?
The number of students taking the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in Hong Kong has increased by nearly 20 per cent over the past five years, with more students and parents preferring its flexibility to the city's traditional, exam-oriented university entrance system. Advertisement More than 2,600 students taking the IB exam will learn their results on Sunday, while those of nearly 55,800 Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) candidates will be out the week after on July 16. According to figures obtained by the Post from the IB body, the number of students – including those taking the May and November sessions – rose from 2,193 in 2021 to 2,406 in 2024. The figure for the May session in 2025 alone reached 2,628, which was 19.6 per cent higher than in 2021. The number of global IB exam candidates also grew by 25.9 per cent from 170,637 in 2021 to 214,761 in 2024. The figure for the May session in 2025 was over 202,000. Dion Chen, chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, says more DSS schools have launched different international curricula over the past decade. Photo: Edmond So While international curricula such as the IB were first offered by the city's international or private independent schools, the Education Bureau said nine schools under the direct subsidy scheme (DSS), which are regarded as semi-private, currently provide both the IB and DSE curricula.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Number of semi-private schools seeking fee increases falls by 26% in Hong Kong
The number of Hong Kong semi-private schools applying for a tuition fee increase has dropped by more than a quarter against a year ago, with the sector attributing the decline partially to the sluggish economy. A spokesman for the Education Bureau said on Friday that as of June it had received 40 applications from schools belonging to the direct subsidy scheme (DSS) to adjust tuition fees upwards, a 26 per cent decrease from the 54 recorded last year. The number has not been this low since 2022. The number of schools notifying the bureau of an intent to freeze fees this September rose to 38, up from 25 last year, marking a 52 per cent increase. Dion Chen, chairman of the Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, said the sluggish economy could be one reason for the schools' reluctance to raise fees. 'Like during the pandemic, most of the DSS schools did not raise school fees. And DSS schools would also study whether they have such a need and sufficient surplus before applying to raise the fees,' he said. About 470 preschools receiving subsidies and around 130 private ones have applied for a fee increase, marking a 10 per cent drop from the 660 recorded last year.
