Education Commission Welcomes Budget Measures to Enhance Hong Kong's Education and Talent Development.

Education Commission Chairman welcomes 2026-27 Budget

The following is issued on behalf of the Education Commission:

The Chairman of the Education Commission, Dr David Wong, today (February 25) welcomed the measures on education proposed by the Financial Secretary in the 2026-27 Budget.

Dr Wong said, "Education is the cornerstone of talent cultivation and is particularly crucial in building Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent. As the Chairman of the Education Commission, I am pleased to note the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to education. After considering the overall public fiscal situation, the Government continues to invest substantially in education, optimising the use of resources to focus on enhancing the quality of education and turning Hong Kong into a magnet for vibrant talent. The recurrent expenditure on education has increased by 28 per cent over the past decade. With allocations reaching $102.3 billion for recurrent education expenditure in 2026-27, it accounts for around 17.1 per cent of the total government recurrent expenditure. These figures clearly demonstrate the continued strong support for the education sector in public resource allocation. Regarding the optimisation of resource utilisation, I welcome the Education Bureau (EDB)'s efforts to remove barriers and ease restrictions through streamlining administration for school subsidies to enable more flexible and efficient use of resources. I trust that the education resources will be deployed effectively to achieve maximum benefits."

Dr Wong added, "I fully support the Government's ongoing efforts to advance the digitalisation of education, including the promotion of digital education and artificial intelligence training on all fronts, to cultivate more innovation and technology talent for the digital era. Regarding higher education, I look forward to the Government's proactive development of the Northern Metropolis University Town through site allocation and support earmarking $10 billion in loans for the University Grants Committee-funded universities and the universities of applied sciences to support new campus development and construction, further advancing Hong Kong's development into an international education hub.

"I firmly believe that the EDB will maintain close communication with stakeholders, and jointly elevate Hong Kong's education quality as well as nurturing more elite talent, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and our nation," Dr Wong said.

Source: AI-found images

Women's Commission welcomes 2026-27 Budget

The following is issued on behalf of the Women's Commission:

The Women's Commission (WoC) welcomes the initiatives on promoting women's development in the 2026-27 Budget delivered today (February 25) by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan.

In the Budget, the Financial Secretary mentioned that to promote all-round women's development, the annual funding for the Women Empowerment Fund (WEF) under the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the WoC will be increased to $30 million starting from the next financial year.

The Chairperson of the WoC, Dr Eliza Chan, said, "The increase in the annual funding for the WEF announced in the Budget demonstrates the Government's steadfast support for promoting women's all-round development. I look forward to seeing more women's groups and non-governmental organisations make good use of this resource to implement projects that could better meet women's actual needs and be more diversified in nature, thereby supporting women in realising their full potential and achieving self-fulfilment at different stages of life."

She added, "Looking ahead, the WoC will continue to advise the Government on policies concerning women's development and promote greater attention and support from all sectors of society for women's rights and development."

The WoC was established in 2001 and is committed to enabling women in Hong Kong to fully realise their due status, rights, and opportunities in all aspects of life. It adopts a three-pronged strategy, namely the provision of an enabling environment, empowerment of women through capacity building, and public education, to promote the well-being and interests of women.

Source: AI-found images