More pupils vying for elite secondary school places
Direct applications are up as much as 10pc despite there being fewer places on offer
Principals have warned parents to expect more competition for elite secondary school places this year, as more tried their luck in the latest allocation exercise.
Places could be further limited after the Education Bureau reduced class sizes ahead of an expected reduction in student numbers in the next few years, the educators said.
Even though there were fewer places on offer, the principals of some elite secondary schools said they had 10 per cent more direct applications from parents in this year's discretionary allocation exercise, which ended yesterday.
In the allocation exercise, public schools - excluding some direct subsidy schools that do not participate in the scheme - can reserve up to 30 per cent of their Form One places for direct applicants. The rest are selected via a random, centralised allocation exercise to be conducted later.
The vice-principal of one elite girls' school said that although there would be 5,000 fewer students eligible for secondary education in the city this year, he expected applicant numbers to rise.
"Parents have seen an overall drop in student numbers, so they think there is a better chance of getting their kids into an elite school," said Cho Kong-sang, vice-principal of Ying Wa Girls' School in Mid-Levels.