Education (constituency)

Education Constituencies
Functional constituency for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Region	Hong Kong
Electorate	74,618
Current constituency
Created	1985
Number of members	One
Member	Tang Fei (Independent)

Education Constituency
Traditional Chinese	教育界
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gaau yuhk gaai Jyutping Gaau3 juk6 gaai3

The Education functional constituency, formerly called Teaching from 1985 to 1995, is a functional constituency in the elections for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It was one of the 12 functional constituency seats created for the 1985 Legislative Council election. Since 1998, It has been the functional constituency with the most registered voters, including registered teachers, principals, managers of schools, full-time academic staff, members of the councils of the universities in Hong Kong and board of governors of the institutes of higher educations. ^[1] In 2020, it had 85,698 registered voters, as compared to the Finance constituency who had only 121 voters. ^[2]

The constituency was historically one of the few pro-democracy strongholds in the functional constituencies. For most of its history it was held by the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (PTU), the largest teachers' union in Hong Kong, and was held by PTU president Szeto Wah until he switched to a geographical constituency direct election in the 1991 election. He was succeeded by Cheung Man-kwong who held the seat from 1991 to 2012. Beginning in 2012, it was represented by Ip Kin-yuen until he resigned en masse from the office with other pro-democrats in protest to Beijing's disqualification of the four pro-democracy legislators. ^[3]

After the dissolution of the PLU and the exclusion of the pro-democracy camp from the political system after the 2021 electoral overhaul, the seat has been represented by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (FEW), the largest pro-Beijing teachers' union.

Composition

The Education functional constituency is composed of— ^[4]

• full-time academic staff engaged in teaching or research and administrative staff of equivalent rank in the following institutions—
  • institutions of higher education funded through the University Grants Committee;
  • approved post secondary colleges registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320);
  • technical colleges established under the Vocational Training Council Ordinance (Cap. 1130);
  • The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts;
  • The Open University of Hong Kong; and
• full-time academic staff engaged in teaching or research and administrative staff of equivalent rank in the institutions which—
  • offer post secondary education leading to the award of any qualification entered into the Qualifications Register established under the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance (Cap. 592); and
  • are set up by—
    • an institution of higher education funded through the University Grants Committee;
    • The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts; or
    • The Open University of Hong Kong; and
    • members of each of the following bodies—
  • Council of the University of Hong Kong;
  • Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong;
  • Council of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology;
  • Council of the City University of Hong Kong;
  • Council of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University;
  • Council of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts;
  • Council of The Open University of Hong Kong;
  • the Vocational Training Council;
  • Council of The Education University of Hong Kong;
  • Council of the Hong Kong Baptist University;
  • Council of Lingnan University;
  • Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Shue Yan University
  • Board of Governors of the Caritas Institute of Higher Education;
  • Board of Governors of the Chu Hai College of Higher Education;
  • Board of Governors of the Centennial College;
  • Board of Governors of the Tung Wah College;
  • Board of Governors of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong;
  • Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education;
  • Board of Governors of the HKCT Institute of Higher Education;
  • Board of Governors of the Gratia Christian College;
  • Board of Governors of Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education; and
• registered teachers registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279); and
• permitted teachers engaged in full-time employment in schools registered or provisionally registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279); and
• teachers and principals of schools entirely maintained and controlled by the Government; and
• persons whose principal or only employment is that of full-time teaching with the following institutions—
  • technical institutes, industrial training centres or skills centres established under the Vocational Training Council Ordinance (Cap. 1130);
  • industrial training centres established under the repealed Industrial Training (Construction Industry) Ordinance (Cap. 317) and maintained under the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587);
  • industrial training centres established under the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587);
  • industrial training centres established under the Industrial Training (Clothing Industry) Ordinance (Cap. 318);
  • Hong Chi Association—Hong Chi Pinehill Integrated Vocational Training Centre;
  • Caritas Lok Mo Integrated Vocational Training Centre of Caritas—Hong Kong incorporated under the Caritas—Hong Kong Incorporation Ordinance (Cap. 1092); and
• registered managers of schools registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279).

Return members

Election		Member	Party
	1985	Szeto Wah	Nonpartisan (PTU)
	1988
	1991	Cheung Man-kwong	PTU/UD→PTU/Democratic
	1995
Not represented in the PLC (1997–1998)
	1998	Cheung Man-kwong	PTU/Democratic
	2000
	2004
	2008
	2012	Ip Kin-yuen	PTU
	2016
	2021	Chu Kwok-keung	FEW
	2025	Tang Fei	Independent (FEW)

Electoral results

2020s

2025 Legislative Council election: Education

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent (FEW)	Tang Fei	13,759	55.11
	Independent (FEW)	Ray Cheung Chak-chung	11,206	44.89
Majority			2,553	10.22
Total valid votes			24,965	100.00
Rejected ballots			1,733	6.49
Turnout			26,698	35.78	+6.76
Registered electors			74,618
	Independent gain from FEW		Swing

2021 Legislative Council election: Education

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	FEW	Chu Kwok-keung	10,641	46.16
	Independent	James Lam Yat-fung	4,544	19.71
	Independent	Lam Wing-sze	3,280	14.23
	HKKGEPE	Ting Kin-wa	2,533	10.99
	Independent	Jessica Man Sze-wing	2,054	8.91
Majority			6,097	26.45
Total valid votes			23,052	100.00
Rejected ballots			1,652
Turnout			24,704	29.02
Registered electors			85,117
	FEW gain from PTU		Swing

2010s

2016 Legislative Council election: Education ^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU	Ip Kin-yuen	45,984	71.69	–3.73
	Independent (FEW)	Choi Yuk-lin	18,158	28.31
Majority			27,826	43.38
Total valid votes			64,142	100.00
Rejected ballots			1,821
Turnout			65,963	74.80	+4.17
Registered electors			88,185
	PTU hold		Swing

2012 Legislative Council election: Education ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU	Ip Kin-yuen	46,535	75.42	+3.81
	Independent	Ho Hon-kuen	15,170	24.58	+1.38
Majority			31,365	50.84
Total valid votes			61,705	100.00
Rejected ballots			3,773
Turnout			65,478	70.44	+10.55
Registered electors			92,957
	PTU hold		Swing

2000s

2008 Legislative Council election: Education ^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (Democratic)	Cheung Man-kwong	37,876	71.61	−11.33
	Independent	Ho Hon-kuen	12,272	23.20
	Independent	Yu Yee-wah	2,746	5.19
Majority			25,604	48.41
Total valid votes			52,894	100.00
Rejected ballots			1,421
Turnout			54,315	59.89
Registered electors			90,693
	PTU hold		Swing

2004 Legislative Council election: Education ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (Democratic)	Cheung Man-kwong	44,517	82.94	−3.35
	Independent	Yu Kai-chun	9,155	17.06
Majority			35,362	65.88
Total valid votes			53,672	100.00
Rejected ballots			2,284
Turnout			55,956	72.02
Registered electors			77,696
	PTU hold		Swing

2000 Legislative Council election: Education ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (Democratic)	Cheung Man-kwong	35,793	86.29	−0.47
	Independent	Lee Kit-kong	5,686	13.71
Majority			30,107	72.58
Total valid votes			41,479	100.00
Rejected ballots			900
Turnout			42,379	59.45
Registered electors			71,284
	PTU hold		Swing

1990s

1998 Legislative Council election: Education

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (Democratic)	Cheung Man-kwong	34,864	86.76	+5.54
	Independent	Li Sze-yuen	5,319	13.24
Majority			29,545	73.52
Total valid votes			40,183	100.00
Rejected ballots			679
Turnout			40,862	66.79
Registered electors			61,184
	PTU win (new seat)

1995 Legislative Council election: Education

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (Democratic)	Cheung Man-kwong	19,558	81.31	−8.51
	Independent	Leung Siu-tong	4,496	18.69
Majority			15,062	62.62
Total valid votes			24,054	100.00
Rejected ballots			297
Turnout			24,351	57.43
Registered electors			42,404
	PTU hold		Swing

1991 Legislative Council election: Teaching

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PTU (United Democrats)	Cheung Man-kwong	15,193	89.82
	FEW	Ho King-on	886	5.24
	STA	Walter Wou Tchong-hong	836	4.94
Majority			14,307	84.58
Total valid votes			16,915	100.00
Rejected ballots			119
Turnout			17,034	44.04
Registered electors			38,678
	PTU hold		Swing

1980s

1988 Legislative Council election: Teaching

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent (PTU)	Szeto Wah	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

1985 Legislative Council election: Teaching

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent (PTU)	Szeto Wah	12,706	68.64
	Independent	Luk Yip Jing-ping	2,655	14.34
	Civic	Ko Gra-yee	2,165	11.70
	Independent	Chan Yat-tong	577	3.12
	Independent	Wu Siu-wai	409	2.21
Majority			10,051	54.30
Total valid votes			18,512	100.00
	Independent win (new seat)

References

1. "Legislative Council Ordinance – Composition of the education functional constituency".
2. "Voter Registration Statistics : Functional Constituency". Voter Registration.
3. "'Death sentence' for Hong Kong democracy: NGOs, activists & gov'ts react as democrats unseated from legislature". Hong Kong Free Press. 12 November 2020.
4. "Cap. 542 Legislative Council Ordinance". Hong Kong e-Legislation.
5. "2016 LegCo Election – Election Results". Government of Hong Kong. Retrieved 12 May 2015.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
6. "2012 LegCo Election – Election Results". Government of Hong Kong. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
7. "2008 Legislative Council Election". Government of Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
8. "2004 Legislative Council Election – Election Results". Government of Hong Kong. 7 September 2004. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
9. "Legislative Council Elections Results". Government of Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2015.