This article offers a theoretical discussion on the current problems and future challenges of school capacity building in early childhood education (ECE), aiming to highlight some key areas for future research. In recent years, there has been a notable policy shift from monitoring quality through inspection to improving quality through school capacity building in early childhood institutions in the global discourse for quality. Reflecting this policy shift and its implications on school development, ECE in Hong Kong is used as an illustrative example to deliberate the issues of school capacity building in Chinese educational contexts. We identify three challenging contexts: (1) low professional qualification and minimal teacher education resulting in a deficit approach to processional development, (2) absence of school-based professional learning culture for empowering teachers as internal agents of change, and (3) hierarchical culture within a school and between university and school hindering the process of school capacity building. Corresponding to these challenges, we aim to propose two suggestions, including (1) empowering teachers in ECE through school-based professional learning community and (2) promoting authentic external support in the process of university–school collaboration. Finally, we further propose specific directions for future research on school capacity building in ECE in Hong Kong. In doing so, it will contribute to knowledge-based development in school capacity building in Chinese educational contexts.
[Copyright © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.]

中國大陸、台灣、香港和澳門都是中華民族的地區，但由於歷史因素，香港(1842-1997)和澳門(1887-1999)分別被英國和葡萄牙管治。其後國共內戰，1949年國民黨南遷台灣，形成四地局面。這些歷史背景因素塑造了四地不同的課程取向和特色。本章首先根據第二章至第五章有關四地不同時期的幼兒課程與教學發展作比較，接着探討影響四地幼兒課程與教學發展的因素及當中的問題，最後就四地所論述的議題提出改善建議，並預測香港未來幼兒課程與教學的發展趨勢。

少數族裔在香港居住由來已久，但香港的《施政報告》在2014年才首次提及少數族裔須融入社會，並公佈為少數族裔學生提供「中國語文課程第二語言學習架構」等措施，但這都只是集中支援小一至中六學生，當中並未顧及學前的幼兒(樂施會，2014)。然而，香港教育局早於2006年所編訂的《學前教育課程指引》已確認零至八歲是幼兒學習的最佳時期（課程發展議會，2006)。事實上，隨著多年來南亞裔（如巴基斯坦、尼泊爾、混血兒─華人和其他亞洲人）移民於本港定居，新一代的南亞裔人口在的人口急速上升*他們雖有香港居民身份，但可享有的資源及支援卻與本土居民有所不同(林仕蓉，2011)。自2014年7月平等機會委員會發表報告指教育制度令少數族裔兒童因中文科成績低落而在升學方面得不到公平競爭的機會，並促請當局採取改善措施，包括在學前階段為少數族裔兒童提供中文支援計劃（立法會，2012)。但政府一直沒有在這學習的黃金時期為少數族裔幼兒提供直接和恆常的中文學習支援(樂施會，2014)。為此，本文章透過與一位服務少數族裔學前幼兒多年的幼稚園校長分享及文獻探討，讓大眾瞭解這一社會上的弱勢社群的幼兒學習需要，以及反思支援少數族裔學前幼兒學習的不足情況。