An investigation into opening school sport facilities for community use in Hong Kong

Patrick W. C. Lau, F. K. Ma, L. B. Ransdell, Wen Wu, Jing Jing Wang*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Purpose of the study: The present study investigated the current use of school sport facilities by communities in Hong Kong and barriers that prevent these facilities from opening to the public.

    Research method: A literature review was conducted using SPORTDiscus, ERIC and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. A self-constructed questionnaire was developed based on the literature. "Survey Monkey" was used to collect information from the e-questionnaire. Invitation emails were sent to 840 schools in Hong Kong and 138 valid questionnaires were returned. After the survey data analysis, four schools were selected for interviews.

    Results: Schools from overseas and mainland China felt a responsibility to promote sport opportunities and stimulate school communalization. However, only 23.2% of local schools were willing to open their sport facilities to communities, citing barriers such as legal liability, expensive insurance and few operating resources.

    Conclusion: After reviewing the global development of school communalization, Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, is left behind. Government agencies could facilitate this process by enacting laws mandating shared facilities and increasing resources. If schools are supported, barriers can be reduced or eliminated, and ultimately, schools may be more willing to open their sport facilities to their community.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)5-25
    Number of pages21
    JournalInternational Leisure Review
    Volume10
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2021

    User-Defined Keywords

    • shared sport facility
    • joint use of sport facility
    • sport resources
    • community sport

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