Implementing 15-year free education in Hong Kong: Dilemmas and practical solutions

15-year free education has been implemented in Macau and some parts of Mainland China in recent decade. In light of the implementations, local early childhood educators and experts have since been debating whether Hong Kong should follow suit to offer the 3 years of early childhood education (ECE) for free on top of the existing 12-year free education. With reference to the policy implementation and outcomes in Macau and Mainland China, as well as the ECE context in Hong Kong, this paper seeks to (1) delineate the dilemmas in the debate about 15-year free education in Hong Kong; and (2) suggest how free ECE could be offered in a context-appropriate manner. We will discuss the issues based on the “3A1S” theoretical framework, which looks into the affordability, accessibility, accountability, and sustainability of ECE. Practical solutions for settling the ceaseless debate about 15-year free education in Hong Kong will also be proposed.
澳門及中國內地某些地區已經陸續推行了 15 年免費教育，香港幼兒教育工作者和專家近年來也在激烈辯論應否在港實施同樣政策。本文在參照澳門及中國內地有關政策的基礎上，對香港現行學前教育學券制的情況及其推行 15 年免費教育進行了文獻分析，並運用「3A1S」的理論框架（即「可支付性，可進入性，可問責性和可持續性」）對實施免費教育所需面對的困境進行了詳細分析。據此，本文提出了切合香港實際需要、切實可行推行 15 年免費教育的解決方案。Copyright © 2014 Hong Kong Teachers’ Centre.