過往西方的國家權力形構與教育文獻都傾向分析經歷急劇政治轉變的歷史個案，本文討論香港－一個戰後維持殖民統治的社會－黑市學校的案例，目的是探討在國家權力形構強度相對較弱的歷史場境下國家與教育的關係。戰後香港繼續受英國統治，殖民政府的合法性並非來自民眾的強烈支持，執政者無需打造香港爲中心的國族身分認同，當時最能引發社會衝突、威脅殖民地安定的親共及親台陣營的戰鬥性受到客觀條件限制。這些因素緩和了國家權力形構的壓力，也減低了當局發展教育的意願。因爲政府對教育投入不足，私立學校成爲教育設施的主要提供者。爲了避免私校被親共及親台勢力滲透以及因管理不善危害學生安全，當局訂定更嚴厲的法規管制私立學校。政府「提供不足、負面管制」的政策引起黑市學校問題。殖民掌權者面對壓力要對付黑市學校。然而因爲殖民地缺乏足夠教育設施，以強硬手段打壓無牌學校勢必導致大量學童失學。這些矛盾壓力使黑市學校問題難以獲得解決。受到戰後香港個案的啟發，本文在結論部分以執政者「有否提供足夠教育機會」及「是否以負面手法管制私校」兩大面向發展出四種國家教育政策的類型，並提出有關四種教育政策與國家權力形構關係的理論假設。

Most literatures on state formation and education focus on socio-historical milieus undergoing vigorous political change. This paper uses the historical case of black market schools in postwar Hong Kong to dissect education politics in settings marked by relatively mild intensity of state formation. After the war Hong Kong remained a British colony, the ruling regime's legitimacy was not dependent on strong support from local residents, and the militancy of the pro-Beijing and Pro-Taipei forces was moderate. These factors suppressed intensity of state formation, reduced the government's willingness to provide education, and resulted in the proliferation of private schools. To prevent private institutions from endangering pupils’ safety and the Colony's stability, the government moved to intensively regulate them. This "insufficiently provided, negatively regulated" approach resulted in unfulfilled educational demand and the problem of unregistered schools. Although the government felt compelled to suppress unlawful institutions, it recognized that strong actions against such schools would increase the number of unschooled children and provoke public resentment. Inspired by this historical case, the author of this paper constructs a typology of state educational policies by cross-tabulating the dimensions of "educational provision" and "mode of private school regulation." He also proposes theoretical hypotheses on the connection between these policies and state formation.