Civil servants donning face masks enter the Central Government Complex on March 2, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong government is considering expanding the city’s Local Education Allowance to include civil servants whose children are obtaining elementary or secondary education on the Chinese mainland, the city’s civil service secretary said.

The Local Education Allowance is available only to civil servants who were offered a position before June 1, 2000

Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said in a written reply to a question from lawmaker Kwok Wai-keung that the proposal was presented after the government noticed that some Hong Kong students, including children of the city’s civil servants, have opted to study on the mainland.

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The Local Education Allowance, which covers the cost of the children’s primary and secondary education in Hong Kong, is available only to civil servants who were offered a position before June 1, 2000.

The proposal is in line with the government’s policy of encouraging the city’s young people to proactively integrate into the nation’s overall development, Nip said.

He added that the government is exploring the feasibility of the plan and will consult civil servants on the proposal.

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