Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Inclusive Education)

This programme is operated by HKCT Institute of Higher Education.

This programme provides students with a solid foundation of the professional knowledge and perspectives in early childhood education, and equip them with analytical and practical skills to better prepare for their career pursuits.

Professional Qualification

The programme is recognised by the Education Bureau (EDB), the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ).
Graduates of the Programme will be eligible to apply for registration as:
- Qualified kindergarten teachers with Certificate in Early Childhood Education [C(ECE)] with the EDB; and
- Child Care Worker (CCW), Child Care Supervisor (CCS) and Special Child Care Worker (SCCW) with the SWD.

Contents

Programme Contents

This programme facilitates students to have a solid foundation of the professional knowledge and perspectives in early childhood education. It equips students with analytical and practical skills to work effectively with young children and their families in an inclusive manner; and enhances students in both personal growth and professional growth for embracing professional values and dispositions/qualities that an early childhood educator should possess.

Programme Features

Full Professional Recognition

Graduates will be eligible for registration as Qualified Kindergarten Teacher (QKT) with the Education Bureau, as well as Child Care Worker (CCW) and Child Care Supervisor (CCS) with the Social Welfare Department (SWD). Graduates will also be recognised as having acquired training equivalent to the One-year In-service Course in Special Child Care Workers (SCCW) of the SWD.

Focus on Inclusive Education

The Programme is not only a general Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECE) but also with elements covering the values of inclusive education which include respect for diverse needs and the importance of early intervention for children with early signs of special educational needs, which equip students to have general knowledge towards special child care education in order to provide sufficient care to young children in early childhood setting and registered as SCCW.
Riding on the tide of change for a culturally responsive work environment, the Programme equips students with general knowledge towards different programme and service models to help Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) children in the learning of Chinese and local culture.

STEM Curriculum

The programme also includes the "Featured STEM Curriculum for Kindergarten " developed by a professional early childhood education scholar - Dr. Ng Po Chu.
The curriculum includes three elements: “Exploration Learning”, “Free Construction” and “Science Experiment”. It emphasises children’s development and through appropriate age, appropriate quantity and appropriate level to establish a set of STEM Kindergarten Curriculum (Ng Po Chu, 2021).
The curriculum is also equipped with a series of learning activity books for children to use, allowing children to learn systematically and strengthen learning effectiveness.
Students can further master the concepts of exploration, problem-solving, and engineering activities emphasised by STEM to integrate the kindergarten curriculum.

Comprehensive Practicum

Through practicums in kindergarten-cum-child care centres with Integrated Programme, student teachers will be allowed to integrate their skills to serve mainstream children, children with early signs of special educational needs and NCS children as well in an inclusive manner.

Versatility in Hands-on Skills

The curriculum has been enriched with hands-on skills which are mostly required of ECE graduates. For example, students will learn about event management to organise and manage events such as graduation ceremony. Enrichment activities such as professional talks, workshops, visits and exchange trip are organized for students to equip them to be professional early childhood educators. Also, an elective cluster covering skills relating to health and fitness as well as food nutrition is in place for interested students to acquire relevant certificates which may help increase students' employability and allow them to serve better in the ECE field.

Strategic use of medium of instruction

This programme is one of a few Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education using Chinese to assess student performance in Hong Kong. Most of the subjects are delivered in Chinese, the assessment of assignments is also mainly in Chinese in order to encourage students to discuss on academic topics proactively.

Ann Chiang’s Scholarship

The HKCT Institute of Higher Education provides "Ann Chiang Scholarship" to students with remarkable personal character and respectable personal past experience. Each successful applicant will be granted a half exemption of the tuition fee for the entire study duration of the programme. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Featured Modules

Specialised Subjects

Child Development

Child Development – Infants and Toddlers Development
Child Development – Preschoolers Development

Early Childhood Education / Curriculum: Planning

Introduction to Early Childhood Education
Introduction to Psychology
Learning and Teaching for Cognitive and Language Development
Early Childhood Play Context and Creativity through Art and Music
Health, Safety and Physical Fitness for the Young Child
Early Mathematics, Science and Technology for the Early Childhood
Administration and Event Management in Early Childhood Organisation
Principles and Practice for Planning Early Childhood Programmes
Early Childhood Curriculum: Planning and Implementation
Family and School Collaboration

Special Education / Inclusive Education

Understanding Diversity Among Children
Introduction to Teaching Strategies for Children with Special Needs
Early Childhood Inclusive Education
Curriculum Planning for Inclusive Education
Individualised Education Programme (IEP)

Practicum

Practicum I: Fieldwork Practice - Induction to Basic Preschool Teaching Skills
Practicum II: Fieldwork Practice- Planning and Implementing Early Childhood Learning Activities

Elective Subjects

Nutrition and Health
Health and Fitness

General Education Subjects

Ethics and Professional Development
Academic English
Chinese Communication
Putonghua Communication
Information Management Technologies

Remarks:
Offer of the subjects (including electives) is subject to the Institute's final decision without prior notice.

Graduation Path

Articulation Path

Bachelor of Science in Applied Child Development, The University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Special Education, The Education University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood and Family Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Early Childhood Education), The Education University of Hong Kong
Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Early Childhood Education: Leadership and Special Educational Needs), Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Careeer Prospects

Qualified kindergarten teachers with Certificate in Early Childhood Education [C(ECE)] with the EDB, and eligible to apply for registration as a Child Care Worker (CCW), Child Care Supervisor (CCS) or Special Child Care Worker (SCCW) with the Social Welfare Department. Graduates who registered successfully can work in kindergartens, child care centers or nurseries in Hong Kong. Graduates can also work in children's storybook publishing houses or other related organizations.

More than 50% of the graduates were employed in the field of kindergarten including teachers, teaching assistants, child care workers and playgroup tutors, etc.

Internship

360 hours of practicum and 84 hours of practical workshop are provided to students in order to put their knowledge into practice in the actual environment of early childhood education. The content of the practicum workshops includes pre-practicum introduction, simulation workshop, and practicum content. In addition, site visits and school visits are also provided for students to have a certain understanding of different child care institutions before their internship.

Programme Details

Mode of Study

Full Time

Teaching Mode

Face to face

Commencement of Study

September 2025

Duration

2 Years

Location

HKCT Jockey Club Undergraduate Campus

Entry Requirements

Attained Level 2 in 5 HKDSE subjects*, including Chinese^ and English [each applicant is allowed to use not more than two Applied Learning subjects at ‘Attained’ level as equivalent to Level 2 in the application] ; or
Grade E or above in 1 A-Level or 2 AS-Level subjects in HKALE; and
- 5 passes in HKCEE including Chinese Language and English Language; or
- 3 passes in HKCEE plus Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language; or
Completion of Pre-Associate Degree or equivalent programme (at QF Level 3); or
Completion of Diploma Yi Jin / Diploma of Applied Education; or
In-service kindergarten teaching assistants/practitioners with QKT or equivalent qualifications; or
Aged 21 or above with at least 1-year working experience;
AND
Pass in the admission interview.

* ‘Attained’ in ‘Citizenship and Social Development’, or the attainment of ‘Level 2’ in Mathematics Extended Part (Module 1 or Module 2) is also recognised as one of the five HKDSE subjects.
^ ‘Attained’ level of Applied Learning Chinese (for non-Chinese speaking students) is accepted as Chinese Language qualification for the admission, but it is not considered as an elective subject.

Non-local Entry

Please contact us at (852) 2265 6993 or email to ded@ctihe.edu.hk for more information.
If there is any inconsistency between the English and Chinese versions, the English version shall prevail.

Teaching Facilities

K Square (Early Childhood Education Centre)

“K” in K Square means “Kids/ Kindergartens”. This is a simulation education centre for training kindergarten teachers. It is committed to promoting quality of early childhood teaching skills and concepts, and focuses on three areas of continuous development, including professional courses, kindergarten training and institutional cooperation. K Square is equipped with different teaching tools to enrich and stimulate childhood learning and facilitate teachers’ demonstration.

Student Words

PO Wing Yu, Tobey

"The early childhood education curriculum includes elements of Inclusive Education. In addition to mastering basic knowledge of children, I also learned the characteristics of and teaching strategies to different types of children with special learning needs. Also, the programme provides students with different kind of opportunities including visits to different institutions, school sharing and internship to different preschool settings in Hong Kong. All these experiences have enhanced my confidence to accept challenges and hardship in the future."

Yip Ka Ting

「I really want to show my gratitude to our teachers. They never get tired to guide us for precautionary work and designing diversified teaching modes thoroughly. They led us in role plays and arranged institutions for our internship programmes. I remember one time, when we had our school teachers visiting us during the internship period. I felt extremely intense for the inspection before they arrived. When they arrived, my fear and nervousness disappeared as they made us feel secure and confident. It is a result of their guidance and the strengths they gave us. Therefore, I would like to sincerely thank all the teachers for their dedication and guidance. We are all lucky and grateful to be your students.」

Lam Yuet Mao, Carrie

「My childhood dream was to become a kindergarten teacher. Due to family circumstances, I couldn't pursue further education and chose to work instead. When I had my child, I got involved with kindergarten teachers. During a parent observation activity, seeing my child's learning in class, I felt like the teacher performed magic and sensed their professionalism. Impressed by the teacher, I decided to go back to school, begin with Yi Jin and then progress to Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education. The most profound experience during this course was the kindergarten internship. Experiencing the daily work at a kindergarten made me incredibly happy and fulfilled. I learned many techniques and gained valuable experience from it. 」

LIU Shiya

「The programme has taught me the importance of respecting and embracing different abilities and cultural backgrounds, as well as the programme can foster cooperation, understanding and empathy among students. The College provides a diverse learning environment that helps students to discover their unique values and grow with each other. In doing so, we accumulated skills that will enable us to respond with confidence to the changing needs of society in the future.」

Tuition Fees and Assistance

Year 1: $65,060 Year 2: $78,090

The tuition fee above is under 2025/26 Cohort.

Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP) (Including Student Travel Subsidy(STS))
The Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS)
Student Travel Subsidy

Scholarships and Grants

Ann Chiang Scholarship
Community Services Scholarship
CT Entrance Scholarship for Excellent Academic Achievement
Scholarship for Best Talents

QF Level

The qualification of this programme is recognised under the Qualifications Framework in Hong Kong.

QF level：4

QR Registration No.：18/000435/L4

Registration Validity Period：1/9/2018 to 31/8/2027

Other Information

Applicants who do not meet the entry requirement may apply for a 1-year Diploma of Applied Education (listed below) and articulate to this higher diploma programme:

Diploma of Applied Education (Early Childhood Education)

Disclaimer

Tuition fees and subsidies are to be reviewed and adjusted annually on various factors.