There are certain myths about Direct Subsidy Scheme schools.
The first is that traditional elite schools that have switched over to the scheme in recent years, including St Paul's Co-Educational College and Diocesan Boys' School, are typical DSS schools.
In fact, established primary and secondary schools make up a minority of those in the scheme, which includes former private institutes and schools with a so-called 'leftist' inclination.
There are also some newcomers that boast a distinctive mission, such as to cater for gifted children or promote the much-touted idea of 'whole-person education'.
Then there is the mistaken belief that DSS schools usually charge astronomical fees.
There are 73 DSS schools in the 2006-07 school year, which will rise to 75 next year, and of the 55 secondary schools, most charge about HK$10,000 a year. The exceptions are the few traditional elite schools, which charge an average of $30,000 a year. The range overall is between $2,500 and $48,000.