HKD 67.5 million Covid-19 Relief for Schools

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (EDB) is offering grants to kindergartens and international primary and secondary schools as part of a one-off HKD 67.5 million Covid-19 financial aid package. Grants ranging from HKD 30,000 to 80,000 will be provided to more than 1,000 kindergartens and about 180 private and international schools. 

After a turbulent year that has seen schools close for more than five months due to the pandemic, the government has launched a third round of its anti-epidemic fund. This will include grants of HKD 40,000 for international schools, including all English Schools Foundation schools.

Last month, international and private schools in Hong Kong received more than HKD 200 million to help save teacher and staff jobs, as part of the government’s Covid-19 relief package. The government’s HKD 81 billion Employment Support Scheme offers a monthly subsidy to cover up to 50% of employees’ wages – and more than 70 private primary and secondary schools, including 42 international schools, benefited from the scheme in its first round of subsidies from June to August 2020.

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (EDB) is also offering grants totalling HKD 75 million to kindergartens, childcare centres and schools with kindergarten classes. The news follows reports that several kindergartens, especially privately-run ones, are facing financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.