The government's proposal to cancel the HK$2,500 student subsidy starting in the 2025/26 academic year has drawn widespread attention. In March, the office of Legislative Council member Chu Kwok-keung surveyed 6,677 respondents, predominantly parents, and over 7% comprising educators from primary, secondary, and early childhood sectors.
The survey revealed that 93.5% of respondents opposed the cancellation of the student subsidy and expressed dissatisfaction with the education-related policies in the financial budget. Should adjustments to the subsidy be unavoidable, 40% of respondents suggested reducing the amount to HK$1,000 to 1,500, while 32.3% recommended providing the full HK$2,500 only to those in need. Additionally, 4.3% believed that only needy students should receive a reduced subsidy capped at HK$1,500.
Chu highlighted that the findings reflect parents' concerns about the proposed cancellation, emphasizing the need for a compromise to alleviate financial burdens associated with their children's education. He urged the government to maintain the subsidy as a means to encourage childbirth and suggested optimizing the student subsidy instead of implementing a blanket cancellation.
Chu proposed several measures:
- Gradually optimize the student subsidy, halving it in the 2025/26 academic year.
- From the 2026/27 academic year, provide varying subsidy amounts based on the number of children to maintain the incentive for childbirth.
- Continue to offer the subsidy to students receiving full or half textbook allowances after asset assessments, limiting the amount to HK$1,000 to 1,500.
He expressed confidence that these optimization measures would address the needs of different parents while alleviating public financial burdens. Chu also urged the government to integrate and optimize subsidies while enhancing prior consultation and communication to gain public understanding and support.
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