The Sister School Scheme serves as a platform to facilitate exchange between Hong Kong and Mainland schools. Through exchange and collaboration, sister schools have expanded their network, enhanced understanding and communication, strengthened cultural interflow, and achieved mutual advancement. Since 2004, a considerable number of local schools have formed sister school pairs with schools in the Beijing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality, Ningbo Municipality, Guangdong Province, Sichuan Province, Zhejiang Province and Fujian Province through the co-ordination of the Education Bureau (EDB).
To promote Hong Kong-Mainland sister school exchanges, the Education Bureau has 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 have been provided to public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools that have formed sister schools with their counterparts in the Mainland. Schools show good response and in general are positive to the Pilot Scheme. To further promote the continuous and multi-faceted development of sister school activities, EDB will regularise the Pilot Scheme with effect from the 2018/19 school year, through which recurrent grant and professional support will be provided to public sector and DSS schools (including special schools) that have formed sister schools with their counterparts in the Mainland. The Grant for the Sister School Scheme is now open for application. Please refer to EDB Circular No.9/2018 for details.