Page 9 - Mini-Module 9

The Legal Status of Schools in HK

What is a School in law?

A school can mean something different at different times: it can be a building.
A school can also mean a collection of people engaged in activities aimed at
teaching and learning.
The Education Ordinance defines “school” as an institution, organization or
establishment which provides for 20 or more persons during any one day or 8
or more persons at any one time, any nursery, kindergarten, primary,
secondary or post secondary education or any other educational course by
any means, including correspondence delivered by hand or through the
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postal services .

What types of schools are there in HK?

There are different types of schools in Hong Kong. The essential differences of
each type of school lie in:

● The source of its funding.
● The type of education provided.
● The level of education provided

We can distinguish these into principally the following types:

1. "Aided schools" (資助學校) that provide primary or secondary
education that receive subsidies from the Government in accordance
with the respective codes of aid for primary schools or secondary
schools;

2. "DSS schools" (直資學校) that have joined the Direct Subsidy Scheme
under which the schools (primary or secondary) receive subsidies
directly from the Government on such terms and conditions as specified
by the Government from time to time;

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