Tang Kei-kai, 11, who lives in Wong Tai Sin, discovered yesterday that he faces a 90-minute return journey after being given a place at a secondary school in Tseung Kwan O under the allocation system.
His mother said: 'Tseung Kwan O is just too far away. There's no direct transport for my son to go to school. I really don't want him to spend so much time travelling every day.' She said the allocation system was unfair. 'I know my son is not the brightest child but he's definitely doing all right. I think we've just been unlucky.' She said she would ask the school's principal to write a recommendation letter so that she could try to find a school in Wong Tai Sin. 'I'll try every school in Wong Tai Sin first before I let my son go to study in Tseung Kwan O.' Fong Pik-man, also 11, who went to the same primary school as Kei-kai - Wong Tai Sin Catholic Primary School - was sent to study at the same secondary school.
Her mother said: 'I don't even know how to get to Tseung Kwan O. How can I let my daughter study there? What's more, it will cost us a great deal more in travel costs. This will be such a burden on my family.' Twenty-three students from Wong Tai Sin Catholic Primary School were allocated schools in Tseung Kwan O.
Daisy Lau, whose daughter studies at Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club Hioe Tjo Yoeng Primary School in Sai Wan Ho, said she was nervous before the allocation was announced.
When it came through, she was disappointed. Her daughter was allocated the Precious Blood Secondary School in Chai Wan, which she did not favour because the medium is Chinese. Her daughter, however, was happy with the result.