Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 28):
Question:
According to the 2021 Population Census, nearly 50 per cent of full-time students in Hong Kong have to cross districts to attend school. There are views pointing out that the distribution of the school-age population in certain traditional old districts and new development areas is currently highly polarised, and that the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) will attract a large number of Mainland and overseas talent, along with their children, to Hong Kong, which is expected to further alter the school-age population structure in various districts. Regarding the planning of school networks and sites, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it will comprehensively review the existing system for demarcating school networks, so as to balance education resources, as well as the supply of and demand for school places in various districts; if so, of the details and the specific timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it will seize the opportunities arising from the development of NM to enhance the flexibility of primary and secondary school site planning, so that school sponsoring bodies can adjust the scale of school operations in a timely manner in response to future demographic changes; if so, of the specific measures; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) in order to meet the schooling needs of children of talent coming to Hong Kong in the future, of the Government’s current assessment of and specific arrangements for the planning of non-government sector primary and secondary schools, and whether it will adjust the relevant policies and prescribed standards to complement such efforts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
To ensure prudent use of public funds and equitable allocation of education resources, and to facilitate parents in choosing suitable school places for their children, the Government plans the provision of public sector primary and secondary school places in each district through the school-net system. The Primary One Admission (POA) System was established to alleviate the pressure on young children arising from competition for admission to more popular primary schools. The fundamental objective of Primary One (P1) school-net planning is to enable children to attend schools in close proximity to their homes and to ensure that they are allocated public sector school places within their home districts or neighbouring areas. Accordingly, P1 school nets are relatively small in size, and some are further subdivided on the basis of administrative districts to avoid excessively long journeys to and from schools for young children. Similarly, secondary school nets under the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System are demarcated along administrative district boundaries, in order to reduce students’ travelling time. In conducting the annual review of school nets, the P1 Admission Committee and the Secondary School Places Allocation Committee take into account factors such as administrative district boundaries, number of schools, supply of and demand for school places, and traffic conditions.
The Government also annually reviews the supply of and demand for school places in individual districts in light of changes in the school-age population, and adjusts the supply of places dynamically, so as to ensure that all eligible children are allocated public sector school places. Besides, the Government is committed to providing parents with diverse education choices. Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools, international schools and private schools admit students territory-wide and are not subject to school-net restrictions. Under the public sector school place allocation mechanism, a suitable proportion of places is also reserved for parents to choose schools outside their own districts. The 2021 figures cited by the Member, which cover post-secondary institutions, secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens across the territory, in fact reflect the above-mentioned mechanisms operating as designed.
In response to the questions and views raised by the Hon Andrew Lam, our consolidated reply is as follows:
First, regarding the school-net system, the current P1 school nets are delineated based on administrative districts, with the 18 districts across the territory divided into 36 school nets. Under the SSPA, Secondary One (S1) places are allocated by school nets following the 18 administrative districts. The fundamental principle underpinning the school-net system is to ensure that school-age children are allocated public sector school places within their home districts or neighbouring areas. At the same time, parents may choose schools outside their designated school nets through the Discretionary Places Stage and Part A of the Central Allocation Stage, thereby preserving a degree of flexibility under the principle of fairness. Each year, the Government assesses dynamically the supply of and demand for school places in individual districts, taking into account factors such as the school-age population and district development, and adjusts the supply of school places flexibly as circumstances require. Where necessary and following consultation with relevant stakeholders, the Government may also make minor refinements to the delineation of individual school-net boundaries, so as to make good use of education resources. The mechanism for allocating primary and secondary school places by school nets is long-established and widely accepted by the community. The stability of school nets is of particular importance to both school development and parental choice. The Government has no plan to undertake a comprehensive review of the school-net system for the time being.
Second, on enhancing land use flexibility in support of the Northern Metropolis (NM) development, the Government has reserved school sites at the urban planning stage in accordance with the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. Taking the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas as an example, more than 10 primary and secondary school sites have been reserved tentatively. Through an open and fair school allocation mechanism, the Education Bureau (EDB) has allocated two primary school premises, one in Kwu Tung North and another in Fanling North, for reprovisioning purposes. This meets the demand for school places in the new development areas, while avoiding the pressure on student enrolment of existing schools arising from setting up new schools in the midst of a declining school-age population. Future school allocation will primarily focus on reprovisioning. School sponsoring bodies (SSBs) are encouraged to plan early and to consider reprovisioning schools from districts with surplus places to new development areas such as the NM, with a view to improving the learning and teaching environment and enhancing educational quality.
Third, on supporting SSBs in adjusting school scale, Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan sets out a development direction for the continuous enhancement of the quality of basic education. The Chief Executive announced in the 2026 Policy Address the “Confluence and Elevation – School Excellence Project”, which encourages suitable publicly-funded primary and secondary schools to merge, consolidate resources and enhance the quality of education. The EDB is collecting views from the school sector on the implementation details, including the minimum scale threshold for applicant schools, feasibility of mergers across different finance types, flexible use of school premises upon merger, and provision of additional resources and manpower during the transitional period. The EDB established the Task Force on Supporting the Sustainable Development of Public Sector Schools in March this year to assist SSBs in taking mergers forward, on the basis of consulting stakeholders fully and with student well-being being prioritised. The EDB expects that, through the Project, SSBs will be able to adjust the scale of their schools in the face of demographic changes and development needs, thereby enhancing the quality of education.
Fourth, regarding school choices and arrangements for children of talent, currently, persons permitted to come to Hong Kong as dependants, including the children of families admitted under various talent admission schemes, do not need to obtain prior approval from the Immigration Department (ImmD) to enrol in public sector schools, DSS schools, private schools or international schools. At present, parents may choose more than 800 public sector primary and secondary schools, 53 international schools offering a diverse range of non-local curricula and various private schools. The EDB works with Hong Kong Talent Engage to provide education related information through seminars and online platforms, so as to assist talent in making suitable choices for their children according to their needs.
In addition, the EDB has refined its arrangements to accept P1 and S1 placement applications from applicants who are still awaiting the outcome of their talent admission applications from the ImmD, for submission on behalf of their children. The placement assistance services have also been extended from the P1 to Secondary Three levels to the P1 to Secondary Six levels, so as to facilitate admission of children of talent to schools. The Government will continue to monitor the schooling needs of children of talent and review the supply of public and private sector schools in a timely manner.
President, the Government will continue to accord priority to student well-being, make prudent use of resources, respond to parents’ demand for quality education and align with social development, and dynamically review and refine the above arrangements.
Thank you, President. read more
