In a significant trend, 1,887 teachers from Hong Kong have applied to work in England under a UK education talent scheme, launched in February 2023, to attract qualified educators to address staffing shortages in English schools. By August 2024, 800 of these applications had been approved, with 797 applicants successfully obtaining UK teaching qualifications [312cfd89].
The scheme has seen a notable influx of applications, with 440 received in its first month alone. Applicants are required to possess a bachelor's degree, complete teacher training in English, and have at least one year of teaching experience [312cfd89]. This migration comes at a time when Hong Kong's teacher turnover rates have reached alarming levels, with 8.9% for primary teachers and 9.9% for secondary teachers during the 2021-22 academic year [312cfd89].
One of the applicants, Edgar Yu, who has 15 years of teaching experience, shared his personal experience of relocating to the UK. He reported a staggering pay cut of over 50%, with his salary dropping from HK$70,000 (approximately US$9,000) to less than HK$30,000. Despite the financial challenges, Yu has managed to adapt to teaching in English, focusing on mathematics and computer courses, which are among the subjects most qualified teachers from Hong Kong are teaching in England [312cfd89].
This trend of migration aligns with ongoing educational reforms in Hong Kong, where the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools has proposed significant changes to university admission criteria to alleviate student stress. The association is advocating for the removal of mandatory level 3 passes in Chinese and English for university admissions, which they believe contributes to the academic pressure on students [31a79451].
In response to the challenges faced by its education system, Hong Kong has launched the 'Study in Hong Kong' campaign, which aims to attract more international students. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is promoting this initiative as part of a broader strategy to position Hong Kong as a global education hub, particularly in digital education and artificial intelligence [a38d6454].
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has noted that this campaign is timely, especially given the issues in traditional Western education destinations, such as international student caps in Australia and high fees in the UK. QS emphasizes that Hong Kong's universities must improve their employability and reputation among employers to compete effectively [cd2c4a67].
Currently, Hong Kong's universities rank well in Asia, with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at 2nd, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) at 6th, and City University at 10th [cd2c4a67]. Notably, HKU is ranked 17th globally, and five universities from Hong Kong are in the top 100 worldwide [a38d6454]. However, QS highlights that 70% of non-local undergraduates are from mainland China, indicating a need for broader international appeal. Chief Executive John Lee has announced plans to double non-local undergraduate quotas from 20% to 40% [cd2c4a67].
As part of its digital education strategy, the University of Hong Kong offers a master's program in AI, while the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has launched a digital MBA, focusing on business, STEM, and Chinese culture for international relevance. Targeted markets for attracting international students include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Southeast Asia [a38d6454]. As the education landscape in Hong Kong continues to evolve, the outflow of teachers seeking better opportunities abroad, combined with efforts to enhance the local education system and promote digital education, underscores the pressing challenges and opportunities faced by the sector [312cfd89][31a79451][09ec8fa2][cd2c4a67][a38d6454].