The number of secondary schools using English to teach children will drop by half to fewer than 100 under a new rule issued by the Education Department.
Only schools whose students are assessed as good at English, based on records of admission, will be able to use the language. Those breaking the rule will be penalised.
Principals face a maximum fine of $25,000 and two years in jail.
It is understood the department will brief the Board of Education and the Education Commission on the new rule on Monday.
A two-month public consultation will start in April. The department will send circulars, telling schools of the scheme, in September. They will be given a profile of their student intakes' language abilities and told whether they should teach in Chinese or English from November.
The schools have to follow the rule from the 1998-99 academic year, starting in Form One. It will be extended to senior classes year by year.
About 200 of Hong Kong's 460 secondary schools currently use English for teaching.