| For decades, private secondary schools in Hong Kong were caught in a vicious cycle consisting of a lack of overall government policy in the private school sector and poor academic and physical quality. In an effort to revitalize the local private school sector, the Hong Kong government has initiated several measures since the issuance of Education Commission Report 3 in 1988—perhaps one of the most significant resulting policies is the Direct Subsidy Scheme. This study accomplishes a two-fold agenda: (1) investigating the extent to which the objectives of government policy regarding private schools have been met, and (2) generating viable policy recommendations for educational policy makers in Hong Kong. The findings of this study suggest that the government policies have somewhat improved the quality of local private secondary schools, but a great many schools still struggle in many key areas, ranging from substandard facilities to high teacher turnover rate. Findings from this study prompt eleven policy recommendations addressing issues of cost-effectiveness, accountability, parental choice, equity, and more. These policy recommendations can potentially lend insight and direction not only to Hong Kong, but to other governments interested in enhancing their private school sectors. |
