Unpopular school aptitude test could go by next year

The Education Commission has agreed to scrap the 22-year-old Academic Aptitude Test and may bring in the new school allocation system next year instead of 2005.

The abolition of the test - which ranks primary students' performance to decide which secondary school they should attend - will be discussed at the Executive Council next Tuesday. If agreed on there, current Primary Five pupils will be the first batch to escape the much-criticised test.

Commission members are also considering bringing forward from 2005 to next year a system under which secondary schools will have the freedom to choose 20 per cent of their new students from primary schools. The remaining pupils will be ranked into three bands in their schools, according to internal performance. No public exam will be necessary.

Secondary schools will need to publicise their admissions criteria when selecting the 20 per cent. No written entrance examination, only an interview, will be allowed.

Each student can only apply for one secondary school under the 20 per cent discretionary quota during the first stage of the allocation drive. If they fail to secure a place, they will be placed under the central allocation system in the second stage.

Stephen Hui Chin-yim, a member of the commission's subgroup on secondary school place allocations, said: 'Pupils coming from prestigious primary schools may have some advantage in the discretionary admissions drive. However, it will also stimulate primary schools to work harder when they notice their children are not being favoured by secondary schools.