Dear Parents,

We’re excited to share the latest edition of the SCMP Learn Parents Newsletter, featuring a fresh look and brand-new content.

Say hello to your monthly guide to raising curious and independent children in today’s fast-moving world. Each month, we'll help you cut through the noise with a handpicked list of the news, events and opportunities that matter the most to parents.

In this edition, we bring you the latest on what parents need to know from today’s Policy Address, along with the launch of our brand new Young Post Club digital hub. Plus, discover fun and enriching activities for kids, from horseback riding to an exciting youth summit for budding entrepreneurs.

Key Highlights from the 2025 Policy Address

Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has delivered his fourth policy address, vowing to improve the economy and people’s livelihoods. What does this mean for families? Here are the key takeaways every parent should know.

Education Updates

Two vacant sites in the Northern Metropolis have been earmarked for the development of international schools.
The Education Bureau has allocated HK$2 billion to support digital education, and will soon release the "Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary and Secondary Schools" covering strategies to optimise the innovation and technology curricula, establish an “AI literacy” learning framework, integrate AI education into core subjects and provide enhanced AI training for teachers.
To better equip young people and “broaden their horizons”, a new Young Talent Training Programme will provide more opportunities for young people to participate in internships with international organisations and attend global conferences.

Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, the government will increase the non-local undergraduate quotas at public universities to a maximum of 50%, up from the current 40%. The 15,000 funded places reserved for local students will remain unchanged.

See how lawmakers, students and academics reacted to the plan.
Read more

Direct Subsidy Scheme schools will, on a trial basis, be allowed to apply for increases in the number and size of classes. The precondition for this application will be that students under the new quota will need to be entering the school on a self-funded basis, as a way for schools to take in more non-local students on visas.
The government will promote international recognition of the HKDSE overseas and on the mainland, broadening further education opportunities for students taking the exam.

Additionally, the government vows to step up efforts to crack down on the unauthorised provision of DSE programmes, and aims to formulate a “Code of Practice for Private Schools” and publish the “Private School List” to improve the standards of school operations.

Hear from Secretary for Education Christine Choi on the government’s response to cross-border course abuses.
Read more

Family & Lifestyle Updates

The Department of Health will update its guidelines on social media usage for children and teens.

What do local health professionals think about this policy? Find out what they’re saying in SCMP's full report on the issue.
Read more

In an effort to better support students’ mental health, the current three-tier emergency mechanism for suicide prevention in secondary schools will be made permanent and extended to Primary Four to Six students on a trial basis. What's more, free mental health assessment services will be extended to six more district healthcare centres.
To support young families and boost the city’s birth rate, the additional child allowance for newborns will be extended from one to two years, meaning taxpayers can claim a total of HK$260,000 for each child in the first two years after birth.
Fifteen new childcare centres will be established over the next three years for children aged up to three years, adding about 1,500 quota slots, nearly doubling the current supply.

Unpack the Policy Address in full with SCMP’s expert analysis.
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More Top Stories

A legal battle has erupted between the US-based Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and its co-founded Hong Kong International School (HKIS). LCMS claims the elite institution serves only the wealthy while amassing excessive reserves, and is threatening the school with eviction from its iconic Repulse Bay and Tai Tam campuses. HKIS, meanwhile, rejects the allegations, emphasising that tuition fees sustain its world-class education, with parents and teachers rallying firmly behind the school. The church has since vowed to launch a lower-fee alternative if eviction proceeds, though the Education Bureau has paused any review of the proposal for now.

For a comprehensive explanation of this story, including HKIS’s background and its ties to the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, click below.
Read more

The number of non-day school candidates, including mainland students, attaining top grades in the HKDSE has risen sharply over the past two years. At the same time, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority stresses that the performance of private candidates does not disadvantage day school students, as grading benchmarks are calibrated each year against the stable performance of day school cohorts to uphold fairness and consistency.

Dive into the SCMP’s in-depth analysis of the most recent DSE data and take a closer look at the numbers behind the surge in top scorers.
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The next chapter of Young Post and Posties begins with the launch of the Young Post Club digital hub! SCMP Learn’s flagship youth publications are stepping boldly into the future with a fully refreshed digital experience for Young Post, Young Post Spark and Posties. Designed to make reading and learning more immersive, engaging and fun, Young Post Club is packed with interactive features that kids of all ages will love. Think gamified reading challenges and quizzes, exclusive rewards, a custom vocabulary builder and personalised goal setting. Perfect for sparking curiosity about the world around them and building a lasting daily reading habit!

Learn more and subscribe

Helping our kids find their voice has never been more important, and STANCE, SCMP Learn's first-of-its-kind English storytelling competition, offers a unique opportunity for secondary students to do just that. Designed to inspire young thinkers across Hong Kong and Asia, STANCE invites participants to share their views on current social issues through clear and creative storytelling, developing valuable writing and public speaking skills along the way. Finalists will be invited to showcase their talents in a live grand finale event at JC Cube Tai Kwun, with opportunities to win cash prizes, trophies and a feature in Young Post. Applications are open until Friday, 24 October.

Enter now