Uneven Primary One policy leaves schools in the dark
The Education and Manpower Bureau has been accused of having double standards over its policy on under-enrolled schools.
It has allowed the Chi Tak Public School in Wong Tai Sin to continue operating its Primary One class with only five students, contrary to its policy of requiring schools with Primary One enrolment of less than 23 to cease operating Primary One classes.
This year, 24 schools have been ordered not to run Primary One classes, meaning they will be closed in three years.
Five have been allowed to continue operating through merger, switching to the Direct Subsidy Scheme or passing a special inspection by the EMB.
Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li Kwok-cheung defended the latest decision, citing the lack of school places in the district. 'The reason is simple. If we don't allow it, the five pupils will have to turn to schools in other districts. It will be unfair to them because it involves much longer travel,' he said.
'Also, we need more school capacity to absorb children of new immigrants, who are likely to move into the district later this year. Under such circumstances, we have to be flexible about the number of students per class.'
Chi Tak Public School recruited 20 Primary One students in August. But 15 transferred to other schools before the term started.
The annual cost of operating a Primary One class is about $1.7 million with the average annual subsidy for each Primary One student approximately $24,000.
Chung Lap-poon, principal of Wai Kwan Primary School in Yuen Long, one of the schools ordered to cease Primary One classes this year, accused the EMB of having double standards.
'The EMB is being unfair to schools in a similar situation. It owes us an explanation,' he said.
His school admitted 16 students in June, and an extra nine in August. However, the EMB declined to let it run a Primary One class this year because its enrolment figure had fallen short of 23 before the June deadline for central allocation of Primary One places.
'The EMB forbade us to open a Primary One class even though we had 25 applications in August,' Mr Chung said. 'And we had to transfer some these students to schools in other districts. The rigidity over its decision on our school is in great contrast to the flexibility exercised over Chi Tak School.
'We are in the same position as Chi Tak School - we take in new immigrants throughout the year, and there is little choice of primary schools in the district, yet we were not given the same treatment.'
The principal of the Chi Tak Public School declined to comment.
