Hong Kong Primary and Secondary School Choirs Census 2025
Initiating Organisations
The Hong Kong Primary and Secondary School Choirs Census 2025 was conducted from January to May 2025, with 316 schools participating—representing about one-third of Hong Kong’s primary and secondary schools. The study provides a clear picture of the current state of local school choirs while assessing the role of the Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival in advancing local choral development.
The research findings further reveal the value of participating in choral activities, highlight the challenges faced by music educators, and affirm the HKICF’s contribution to enhancing the standard of school choirs and promoting the professional development of choral teachers. This study provides a foundation for future policy planning, curriculum improvement, and professional training, serving as a starting point in driving the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s choral sector.
Jointly initiated by the Hong Kong Virtuous Chorus and the TWGHs Kitty Woo Music and Art Development Centre, the project marks HKVC’s 15th anniversary and was supported by the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
84.8%
schools have choir
35.2%
schools have more than 1 choir
1,302
school choirs in HK (approx.)
67,000+
students sing in a school choir
Key Findings
Hong Kong exhibits a notably high density of school-based choral activity. According to the survey, roughly 10% of the school-aged population (ages 6 to 18) attend regular choral training at school. Due to time constraints, annual repertoire coverage of the majority surveyed schools is generally limited, with most choirs learning between 1–3 or 4–6 works per year. Thus, in terms of activity participation, most school choirs engage in 1–3 to 4–6 events annually. Local competitions dominate the activity landscape.
Activities Participated by School Choirs
Nearly 70% of surveyed music teachers reported that heavy teaching workloads hinder their ability to focus adequately on choir training. In addition, teachers’ professional development interests closely align with the challenges they face. The responses indicated a strong demand for practical and instructional skill enhancement within the choral education community.
Primary Challenges and Obstacles Faced by Music Teachers
Primary Challenges and Obstacles Faced by Music Teachers
Approximately 80% of surveyed schools reported participation in HKICF. Respondents expressed highly positive evaluations of the Festival’s programmes, with students reporting significantly higher satisfaction levels than teachers. At the same time, the majority of surveyed schools reported noticeable improvements in their choirs following participation in HKICF, underscoring the Festival’s substantial and positive influence on school choir development. The findings also suggest a high level of satisfaction among participating educators regarding the quality, relevance, and practical value of the professional development opportunities provided by HKICF.
Music Teachers’ Evaluation on HKICF Programmes
Students Evaluation on HKICF Programmes
Teachers’ Satisfaction Levels with Professional Development Initiatives of HKICF
Positive Change of School Choirs Participating in HKICF Programmes
What the International Experts Say
I think it’s a wonderful, innovative, creative programme and festival. It’s very collaborative and I love the way that Kelvin has actually approached the whole festival. So while people are getting golds and silvers and bronzes and merit awards, it’s about competing against themselves, not about others. And I really like that. I think it’s really important that you’re grading yourself. I see the passion in the kids and I think Hong Kong’s very lucky to have such wonderful programmes for them to actually be part of and to work towards, the goals to work towards.
HKICF brings together primary and secondary school choirs from across the city. By fostering collaboration and exchange, it replaces the traditional competition atmosphere among school choirs. I deeply admire HKICF’s mission and philosophy.
As an experienced children’s music educator, I strongly support its long-term vision of advancing choral education. I am also pleased to see HKICF engaging various community organisations to promote the art of choral singing, pooling more social resources to support children’s growth and benefit society. Through a wide range of education and outreach activities, HKICF instils the vital values of choral music, making a profound impact on both society and the academic community.
HKICF provides music teachers with easily accessible enrichment activities, including competitions and masterclasses, music teacher workshops, choir conducting sessions, teacher choirs, and concerts. The variety and quality of HKICF activities have greatly enhanced their professional growth.
Moreover, the approach to recognition at HKICF provides schools and teachers with great encouragement. Through meaningful competitions, teachers can gain essential conducting experience and motivation to pursue further professional development. This sets higher aspirations for their students—ultimately raising the overall standard of choral performance.
I have been with HKICF from the first year, since day one, and 9 years ago, of course, in the first year we were also trying out different things, and me coming in from Malaysia to Hong Kong, also trying to understand the culture here. Slowly, every year, I’ve been able to see the growth, and now by the 9th year, we can already see the level of choral singing is so high, and I also talked to many other colleagues who have been to HK; everyone will say the choir singing in Hong Kong the level is so high, and how you are all preparing choirs, moving in the right pathway, that means we are guiding the younger generation to understand choral music very well and very healthily.
Artistic Director’s Response
HKICF: A Shared Journey in Choral Education
This research offers valuable insights into the current state of choral education in Hong Kong and I’m truly heartened by the findings related to the Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival. Over the years, the Festival has grown into a meaningful platform for choral education, now engaging over 400 schools and more than 50,000 participants annually. The cumulative participation has surpassed 150,000, which is both humbling and encouraging.
It’s especially rewarding to see that students—who are at the heart of this Festival—have responded with such high levels of satisfaction. Their enthusiasm reminds us why we do this work. The feedback also highlights the importance of designing programmes that speak directly to students’ interests and needs.
I’m equally grateful for the positive response to our professional development initiatives. As one of the organizations dedicated to supporting music educators, we strive to offer training that is practical, relevant, and applicable to both choir and classroom settings. Knowing that many teachers found value in these programmes affirms our direction and motivates us to keep progressing.
Lastly but just as importantly, the research shows that participation in the Festival has led to noticeable improvements in school choirs. This is a testament to the collective effort of teachers, students, and organisers. While there is always room to grow, I’m thankful for the trust and support from the community, and I look forward to continuing this journey together.
劉灝顯
創辦人及藝術總監
Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival
