United Christian College principal David To Chi-shang broke the news in the afternoon assembly.

'I expressed my views about the unfairness and told them to speak out for their rights if they are unfairly treated in future. But I also told them not to feel like we're being treated as second class.' Parents picking up their children from Salesian English School burst into tears. 'They should not create this two-tier system, with some schools considered good enough to teach in English and others not,' said Pang Chuen-cheung, who has two sons at the school.

'If the Government wants to push mother-tongue instruction, they should do it at all the schools.' Saddened teachers at Buddhist Ma Kam Chan Memorial English Secondary School said they might have to change the school's name.