“School Convergence and Enhancement Scheme” proposes mergers between DSS and aided schools｜Christine Choi: Consulting the education sector; exploring “one school, two campuses” and converting premises into boarding facilities

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The Policy Address proposed launching the “School Convergence and Enhancement Scheme” this academic year to encourage suitable publicly funded primary and secondary schools to merge, consolidate resources and enhance education quality. Secretary for Education Christine Choi said the Education Bureau is consulting the education sector to finalise the details, while studying the feasibility of mergers across different funding modes. The new arrangements may also allow a school to operate across “two campuses” or convert one of its premises into a boarding facility. Several lawmakers raised concerns about maintaining teaching quality after a merger and arrangements for surplus teachers.

📚 Details being finalised; cross-funding-mode mergers under consideration

Replying to lawmakers’ questions in the Legislative Council, Christine Choi said the Bureau is finalising the implementation details of the scheme. These include studying the size threshold for applicant schools, the feasibility of mergers between schools under different funding modes, and flexible arrangements for school premises after a merger. The Bureau will also consider providing additional resources and manpower during the transition period. She stressed that participating schools—whether or not they belong to the same sponsoring body—must take account of district and school circumstances, as well as students’ interests, and fully consult stakeholders. As government schools have a distinctive teacher establishment, they may only merge with other government schools.

🏫 DSS and aided schools may explore mergers｜Christine Choi: No “one school, two systems”

Wun Woon-kit, a member of the Election Committee constituency, asked whether Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools and aided schools could merge under the scheme to form through-train schools, and how the Bureau would ensure that a merger improves education quality. He also asked whether the merged school should adopt the DSS or aided-school model. Choi said schools must consider which funding mode would best serve students, but stressed that there could not be “one school, two systems”. She noted that there had previously been a case in which an aided school merged with a DSS school and continued to operate under the aided secondary-school model.

🏘️ More flexibility for school premises｜“One school, two campuses” or conversion into boarding facilities under study

Previously, premises had to be returned after a school ceased operations. Choi said the new scheme would relax this arrangement, allowing applicant schools to propose operating across “two campuses” or converting one of the premises into a boarding facility. The Bureau will consider such proposals in light of factors including the actual number of classes, teaching needs and students’ backgrounds.

👩‍🏫 Task force to support mergers; teacher staffing arrangements draw attention

Choi said the Bureau established a task force earlier this year to support the development of public-sector schools. It can offer advice and support to school sponsoring bodies. She encouraged schools and sponsoring bodies interested in merging to contact the Bureau. Even if a school has not yet found a merger partner, the Bureau can help introduce potential matches. On concerns about surplus teachers and provident fund arrangements arising from mergers, Choi said existing mechanisms could handle these matters. She added that the Bureau had increased the class-teacher ratio in recent years and allowed schools to provide additional teaching posts according to students’ learning needs, thereby increasing demand for teachers.