HK-Shenzhen education cooperation

PKG

INTRO

Hong Kong and its neighbor Shenzhen have signed an education agreement, that will allow seven schools in the city of southern Guangdong Province to admit children born in Hong Kong to Chinese mainland parents.

PKG

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam and Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin attended the 2013 Hong Kong-Shenzhen Cooperation Meeting on Monday.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Lam said the two cities signed cooperation agreements on education, tourism and technology.

According to Lam, under the education agreement, seven private schools in Shenzhen will be allowed to admit Hong Kong children.

SOUNDBITE: CARRIE LAM, Hong Kong Chief Secretary

"The new agreement involves children born in Hong Kong to Chinese mainland parents. Schools providing classes to children born in Hong Kong, and their curriculum can be linked to Hong Kong schools. These children can take part in Hong Kong's secondary school place allocation. But as these schools are privately funded, the regional government will not provide any financial support to these children."

She said the new arrangement does not mean Hong Kong schools will no longer welcome cross-border students but offers them more opportunities to study in Shenzhen.

Other future work between Hong Kong and Shenzhen includes the Lok Ma Chau Loop development project.