LCQ20: School-based After School Care Service Scheme
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Question:
The Chief Executive has proposed in the 2024 Policy Address to enhance the School-based After-School Care Service Scheme (the Scheme) by increasing the number of primary schools covered by the Scheme from 50 to over 110 starting from the 2024/25 school year, so as to enable students to stay at schools outside school hours for care and learning support and to allow their parents to take up jobs. Subject to actual utilisation and outcome of the Scheme, the Government will encourage more schools to participate in the Scheme in the 2025/26 school year, without capping the number of places. However, some parents have relayed that the number of schools participating in the Scheme is still on the low side, and that some schools do not consider participating in the Scheme because they do not see themselves as underprivileged schools. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current number of primary schools in various districts and, among them, the respective numbers of primary schools which have participated in the Scheme and those which are applying to participate in the Scheme;
(2) whether it has looked into the reasons why some primary schools have not participated in the Scheme, including the reasons for the low participation rate of primary schools which are considered to be relatively privileged; and
(3) how it will encourage more primary schools to participate in the Scheme, including whether it will consider requiring all primary schools to participate in the Scheme?
Reply:
President,
The School-based After School Care Service Scheme (the Scheme) provides focused support for underprivileged families (particularly single-parent families). Under the Scheme, schools provide venues and non-governmental organisations are responsible for providing after-school care services on campus with funding from the Community Care Fund. Primary school students in need can stay after school to receive care and learning support in a safe and familiar environment, so that parents who used to be tied up with caring for their children in after-school hours can choose to work and improve their families' livelihood.
In response to the Hon Luk Chung-hung's question, having consulted the Education Bureau (EDB), our consolidated reply is as follows:
(1) As of mid-December 2024, there are 474 publicly-funded primary schools in Hong Kong, of which 121 primary schools have joined the Scheme, and another three primary schools are preparing to submit applications. Related information by district is tabulated below:
| District | Number of primary schools in the district | Number of primary schools participating in the Scheme* |
| Central and Western | 16 | 2 |
| Southern | 12 | 1 |
| Island | 16 | 3 |
| Eastern | 27 | 2(1) |
| Wanchai | 15 | 1 |
| Wong Tai Sin | 25 | 9 |
| Sai Kung | 26 | 4 |
| Kwun Tong | 33 | 9 |
| Kowloon City | 34 | 9 |
| Yau Tsim Mong | 21 | 6 |
| Sham Shui Po | 24 | 9 |
| Shatin | 41 | 7(1) |
| Tai Po | 20 | 6 |
| Northern | 30 | 7 |
| Yuen Long | 47 | 13(1) |
| Tsuen Wan | 21 | 10 |
| Kwai Tsing | 31 | 15 |
| Tuen Mun | 35 | 8 |
| Total | 474 | 121(3) |
(2) and (3) The Government has implemented the Scheme since September 2023. In the 2023/24 school year, we aimed to engage 50 primary schools in seven districts with more targeted students and successfully recruited 59 primary schools to provide some 3 000 service places. In the 2024/25 school year, the Scheme was expanded to cover an estimated 110 primary schools across all 18 districts in Hong Kong, and so far, 121 primary schools have been approved to participate in the Scheme, offering some 6 000 service places. We have already exceeded the targets for the first two years, and planned to encourage more schools to participate in the Scheme in the 2025/26 school year, without imposing any service quota.
In general, schools would take into account various factors when considering if they should participate in the Scheme, including the needs of students and availability of similar services in the school or nearby communities. The Government will closely monitor the implementation of the Scheme, collect data and views from stakeholders (including parents), and complete a review of the impact of the Scheme in the 2025/26 school year, including encouraging more schools to participate in the Scheme.
Ends/Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:15
Issued at HKT 11:15
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