HONG KONG – The Education Bureau of Hong Kong has launched a HK$500-million program to support primary and secondary schools in utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance learning and teaching.

The EDB issued a circular to all public sector schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools on Tuesday to announce the launch of the scheme, “AI for Empowering Learning & Teaching Funding Programme”.

Starting from this school year, the three-year program will be financed under the Quality Education Fund, according to a government statement.

In his 2025 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu proposed to step up efforts to promote digital education in primary and secondary schools, and announced that the EDB had set aside HK$2 billion from the Quality Education Fund to advance support measures put forward by the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education.

Within the HK$2 billion earmarked under the Quality Education Fund, the Education Bureau allocates approximately HK$500 million to launch the three-year program starting from this school year, said Jeff Sze Chun-fai, chairperson of the steering committee and under secretary for education.

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“Schools can flexibly utilize the funding to initiate and promote school-based programs that use AI to empower education, catering for their specific circumstances and developmental needs,” he said.

Successful school applicants will receive one-off funding of HK$500,000. These schools can then use the funding to purchase, subscribe to, or lease AI-powered devices and services that facilitate AI-assisted teaching, and to subsidize students’ participation in activities that enhance their AI literacy and skills.

Applications will be accepted from Tuesday.

Generally, schools will receive block funding of HK$500,000 on or before June 30 next year. They can use the funding from the 2025-26 school year to the 2027-28 school year, until Aug 31, 2028.

Encouraging publicly funded schools to submit their applications for the program, the EDB said it has comprehensive planning of digital education, especially AI education, in schools to empower education through technology to enhance the quality of learning and teaching.