01 perspective
Written by: Comment Editor
2020-01-09 18:24
Last updated: 2020-01-09 18:25The government ’s 2,500 yuan student allowance announced earlier in the Policy Address officially began accepting applications on Thursday (9th). It is expected that a total of 900,000 students will be benefited. The allowance will also be normalized from 2020/21, which means that Students will continue to receive subsidies next year. Students spend more than 2,500 yuan each year, which can help them with a lot of stationery, books, and lunch. But how helpful is the annual subsidy of 2,500 yuan to students, especially the grassroots?
The limitation of the 2500 yuan allowance can be reflected from the diploma examination. The diploma test is a necessary stage for students. According to the examination fee adjusted by the HKEAA in May last year, this year's diploma test has been increased by 4%, which is the fifth consecutive year of increase since the examination fees were frozen in 2014 and 15 years. Although the subject fee for school candidates this year will be paid by the government, the exam fee for the next year is not waived. Based on the examination fees of school candidates this year, candidates are required to pay 670 yuan for each subject in Chinese and English, and 448 yuan for non-language subjects. For example, a candidate who applies for four compulsory subjects and two elective subjects is an example. The examination fee is 3,132 yuan. If candidates are not paid by the government next year, the $ 2500 a year allowance will not even cover the cost of the exam.
Hong Kong students have a heavy academic load and tuition becomes a "part of life" for students. Photo by Huang Shuhui
Including funding for after-school learning
Take tuition as an example. According to 2016 data from the "Global Student Reading Ability Progress Study", even for families with a household income of not more than 7,000 yuan, nearly 60% of the students in these families have attended tuition. A survey by the "Joint Concern for the Right to Development of School Children" further found that the median monthly tuition expenditure for families with children amounts to 1,250 yuan. Hong Kong students have a heavy academic load and tuition becomes a "part of life" for students. The government grants 2,500 yuan a year, which is enough to cover tuition for two months.
In this regard, the Government can broaden the student subsidy to increase the amount and scope of student assistance. As most tutoring is currently private, it is difficult to cover general government allowances. The government can set up additional allowances for after-school learning and allocate more than 2500 yuan for students to flexibly choose after-school tuition or extra-curricular activities. For existing CSSA households, CSSA study allowances can be increased and expanded to support students' after-school learning needs.
In addition, the lunch price for students to go to school is at least 30 or 40 yuan, and a total of at least 7,000 yuan a year. The student allowance of 2,500 yuan a year is difficult for students to solve even food and clothing. In this regard, the lunch for middle school students can refer to the "Free Lunch at School" scheme implemented by the Education Bureau to expand the scope of support to secondary schools. In order to avoid the labeling effect of students staying in schools, the authorities may consider discounting the subsidy to provide support for grassroots students starting from the basic trivial matter of eating.
Brunch should be provided for students in need. (Photo by Wu Jiajun)
Supporting students is not just the Education Bureau
From a broader perspective, supporting students is not just the responsibility of the Education Bureau. In terms of encouraging students to operate, according to the Hong Kong Playground Association's 2018 "Hong Kong Youth Life Survey", more than 90% of school children's exercise time does not meet WHO standards. If Hong Kong students want to use the subsidy to rent a field for sports, taking the LCSD badminton court as an example, the student will charge 59 yuan for two hours. If the four are in joint venture, each person still needs to pay 5383 yuan a year. Although the LCSD venues have student discounts, they do not include public holidays. The LCSD may consider expanding the scope of student discounts to provide more sports venue options for students.
The difficulties faced by Hong Kong students are not limited to the situation of the grassroots. On the whole, many students are under great pressure to cope with the exams, and now spend a lot of time after school to study, but they lack hope for the future. The Healthy Thinking Center of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups released a survey on "Emotional Stress of Middle School Students" last year. Over 40% of the students surveyed had a high stress index, and more than half had signs of depression. Students lack physical exercise and rest time. At the end of the semester, they have to be nervous about exams, worry about grades, and even because of the social atmosphere, they are even more distressed. While the government is processing the application form, it should be remembered that $ 2,500 cannot relieve the pressure on students.
01 perspective
Student Financial Policy Address 01 Perspective
