Hong Kong’s policy change for children of non-local talent ‘to ensure fairness’

Hong Kong’s plans to impose a required residency period for children of non-local talent before they can apply for subsidised tertiary education is part of efforts to ensure fairness and the reasonable use of public funds, a minister has said.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Saturday defended the coming policy change, noting the number of relevant applications had increased fivefold between 2022 and last year.

In a bid to provide a transition period, the policy will initially require such dependants to have lived in Hong Kong for at least one year before they can apply in the 2027-28 academic year as local students and receive reduced fees.

The threshold will then be increased to two years for 2028-29 applications.

“Everyone is naturally concerned about a small number of individuals – dependants of talent scheme arrivals who may have never lived in Hong Kong but have completed their secondary education exams in mainland China or elsewhere as private candidates,” she told a radio programme.

“They then use their [Diploma of Secondary Education] results and their local resident status to apply for subsidised university places at our government-funded tertiary institutions at local students’ fees.”