Hong Kong's declining birth rate and number of young children present mounting challenges for the education sector in maintaining quality teaching and learning standards. A recent survey by The Education University of Hong Kong's (EdUHK) Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) reveals that more than half of kindergarten teachers work 10 hours or longer each day at school, with nearly half continuing their work for at least two additional hours after school. Over 60% of surveyed teachers describe themselves as feeling “exhausted”.

ECE conducted a comprehensive survey between January and June of this year, reaching out to all kindergartens registered with the Education Bureau through e-mail and postal invitations. The study examined kindergarten teachers' workloads and gathered their perspectives on professional recognition and development needs. The research team successfully collected 851 valid responses, representing principals and head teachers (22.9%), class teachers (59.7%), and other educational staff (subject teachers, teaching assistants, etc.,17.4%).

The survey findings highlight how kindergarten teachers' extended working hours and demanding workloads, combined with declining birth rates that create uncertain employment prospects, generate significant physical and mental stress that demands attention. More than 51% of surveyed kindergarten teachers work 10 hours or longer at their schools on a daily basis, while over 80% continue working outside school hours. Among those working beyond school time, nearly half dedicate more than two hours to work-related tasks. More than 60% of surveyed kindergarten teachers report feeling exhausted either “frequently” or even “daily”.

Table 1: Daily Working Hours within School

Table 2: Daily Working Hours out of School

The survey finds that kindergarten teachers work a median of 55 hours per week, with 60.2% reporting 55 hours or more. This exceeds the 40-hour median for Hong Kong employees as published by the Census and Statistics Department. This also surpasses working hours standards established in many countries. Professor Eva Lau Yi-hung, Acting Head of ECE and lead of this study, noted that surveys conducted by various organisations over the years consistently demonstrate rising teacher stress levels. The severely excessive working hours affecting primary and secondary school teachers have been, for some time, equally evident among kindergarten educators.

Despite experiencing fatigue, the survey found that 90.8% of kindergarten teachers consistently strive to enhance their professional skills through continuing education to improve teaching quality. They expressed the greatest need for training in “educating children with special educational needs” (72%), followed by “parental education and school-community engagement” (46.8%) and “mobilisation of community resources” (36.7%).

While many kindergarten teachers show interest in ongoing professional development, the combination of declining birth rates and insufficient support continues to discourage educators in the field. Survey results indicate that over 80% of participating kindergarten teachers view their career prospects as limited or uncertain, with nearly 60% considering departure from the early childhood education profession.

Professor Lau emphasised that survey results demonstrate kindergarten teachers' sustained positive and progressive professional attitudes whilst navigating through various challenges. However, within Hong Kong's context of continuously declining fertility rates, decreasing enrolment numbers, and schools reducing teaching staff, the resulting heavy workloads and extended working hours place enormous pressure on kindergarten teachers' physical and mental health, severely compromising their work-life balance and overall well-being.

Professor Lau added, “When discussing early childhood education development, society typically focuses on student growth, yet teachers' role as facilitators holds equal importance. Their professional growth and support systems prove crucial for enhancing educational quality.” She urged government and industry stakeholders to establish comprehensive and sustainable early childhood education support, while exploring and addressing three key areas: teacher-student ratios, service models, and institutional safeguards.

Confronting the dual challenges of declining kindergarten-age student numbers and Hong Kong's rapidly growing dual-career family population, Dr Chan Wai-ling, Assistant Professor (Teaching) of ECE, recommended further improvements to teacher-student ratios in early childhood education, comprehensive development of full-day early childhood services, and continuous expansion of daytime care and education for infants and toddlers, alongside enhanced professional training. 

Dr Chan Po-lin, Associate Head and Senior Lecturer of ECE, added that beyond providing targeted professional training, society must re-examine kindergarten teachers' working conditions and welfare benefits to address their professional development needs and promote a healthy work-life balance. This approach would ensure professional recognition and career stability while advancing early childhood education quality, securing long-term sustainability of Hong Kong's early childhood education sector.

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EdUHK announces survey results on kindergarten teachers' workload and professional development

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