Nearly 19,000 children arrived in Hong Kong with parents recruited under talent scheme, but not all schools are benefiting

Immigration Department has approved 34,626 applications and granted 32,649 dependant visas since Top Talent Pass Scheme was launched in late December

But most of the children are older and heading to secondary schools, so the arrivals may not bring a significant increase to the number of Primary One students

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The nearly 19,000 children of recent arrivals are viewed as a major factor behind a recent surge in the number of classes being held by schools. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 9:00am, 15 Oct 2023Updated: 4:18pm, 16 Oct 2023

Professionals arriving in Hong Kong under a talent recruitment scheme have brought nearly 19,000 children with them, according to immigration authorities, with the education sector saying the numbers have helped make up for the decline in the local student population.

The Immigration Department told the Post it had approved 34,626 applications and granted 32,649 dependant visas between December 28, when the Top Talent Pass Scheme was launched, and August 31.

Among the dependants, 13,775 were the spouses of applicants, another 18,824 were dependant minors and the remaining 50 were the same-sex partners of the professionals.

So Ping-fai, acting chairman of the Subsidised Primary Schools Council, says that while the education system can accommodate the new students, the younger ones are unevenly spread out across the city. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Lee Yi-ying, a secondary school principal and the chairwoman of the Subsidised Secondary School Council, said the numbers had helped to offset the drop in the city’s student population in recent years due to emigration and a falling birth rate.

“It not only helps our education sector, it also increases the number of youngsters in society,” Lee said.

The nearly 19,000 children were viewed as a major factor behind a recent surge in the number of classes being held by schools.

The school sector needed to slash 58 Primary One classes in the current term, but the Education Bureau revealed two weeks ago that four Primary One and seven Form One classes had been added after the annual headcount exercise last month.

More than 75 per cent of professionals recruited from outside Hong Kong want their children to study in the city, with more opting for government-funded institutions than private alternatives, a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers last month found.