Today I would like to share some facts about education in Hong Kong and in the world.
In 1971, The Hong Kong Government introduced the compulsory education in order to provide opportunities of free education for children and teenagers. In 2009, the compulsory education extended to twelve years. For tertiary education, publicly funded and self-financing tertiary education programmes are available at sub-degree, undergraduate and higher levels. The government has put a lot of financial resources in education. In 2021 to 2022, the total government expenditure on education is $110.9 billion, making up 15.2 per cent of total government expenditure. Therefore, children and teenagers in Hong Kong have lots of opportunities to receive education.
However, in the third-world countries, having education seems impossible for children and teenagers. According to the UNESCO, the literacy rate in South Sudan ranks the lowest in the world which is only 27%, followed by Afghanistan at 28.1% and Niger at 28.7%. Poverty, government corruption and wars are the main reasons for low literacy rate in these countries. On the other hand, the illiteracy rate among women from India, Pakistan and Nigeria is very high. Due to gender inequality, girls have less opportunities of having education than boys in these countries.
Shungtakians, you may have ever complained: “Why do I need to go to school?” “It is so boring and tiring to study!” However, compare with the countries that I mentioned, you are the lucky one. You should be thankful for many opportunities of receiving education in Hong Kong. You should treasure the opportunities and study hard. Please spend the weekend on revision. Don’t wait until the last moment.
Sunday, 4 May 2025