Baptist University's plan to build a school in Sha Tin offering both primary and secondary places won legislators' approval yesterday, after it was quashed last month.
Legislators on the public work subcommittee voted 12-6 in favour of the plan. The Democrats, who voted against it last time, remain the main opponents. They are concerned that the direct subsidy scheme school would pose a threat to other schools in the district, in light of the falling student population.
The $222 million plan, also opposed by school principals in the district, was voted down by a narrow margin last time.
Legislator Wong Sing-chi said Sha Tin was ranked first across Hong Kong in terms of the number of vacant public school places, and fifth in terms of vacant primary places.
'It is irresponsible of the government to continue building new schools, increasing the pressure on public schools. We don't want to see students being forced to leave their school due to under-enrolments without completing their education,' he said.
But legislator Lau Kong-wah said the school would not have a big impact on other schools, given the university's plan to restrict admissions from Sha Tin to 15 per cent of the total intake.