The Education Bureau (EDB) has been providing financial support to local public sector schools (including special schools) and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools, so as to foster stable partnership between sister schools in the long run, thereby enriching students’ learning experience, enhancing teachers’ professional development and promoting the sustainable development of schools.
Pilot Scheme on Promoting Interflows between Sister Schools in Hong Kong and the Mainland (Implemented from 2015/16 to 2017/18 School Year)
To promote Hong Kong-Mainland sister school exchanges, EDB launched a three-year Pilot Scheme on Promoting Interflows between Sister Schools in Hong Kong and the Mainland (the Pilot Scheme) with effect from the 2015/16 school year, through which financial and professional support were provided to public sector and DSS schools that had formed sister schools with their counterparts in the Mainland. Schools showed good response and in general were positive to the Pilot Scheme.
Grant for the Sister School Scheme (Open for Applications from 2018/19 to 2024/25 School Year)
To further promote the continuous and multi-faceted development of sister school activities, EDB has regularised the Pilot Scheme with effect from the 2018/19 school year, through which the recurrent Grant for the Sister School Scheme and professional support have been provided to local public sector schools (including special schools) and DSS schools that have formed sister schools with their counterparts in the Mainland. The amount of the Grant for the 2024/25 school year is $165,439.
Life-wide Learning and Sister School Grant (Disbursed to Publicly-funded Schools since 2025/26 School Year)
To allow schools to conduct overall planning more effectively and utilise resources flexibly, starting from the 2025/26 school year, EDB will consolidate the Grant for the Sister School Scheme, Life-wide Learning Grant and subsidy under the Outdoor Education Camp Scheme into Life-wide Learning and Sister School Grant.