AN influx of mainland children means there will be a shortage of more than 500 Form One places next year.
As an indirect result, 5,000 youngsters will have to attend schools a long way from where they live.
A paper to be discussed by the Board of Education on Monday says a preliminary examination of supply and demand this year indicates the situation is tight because of an unexpectedly large influx of immigrants.
The paper shows an overall shortage of 503 places. Analysis of individual districts shows more than 5,000 students will be forced to attend schools outside their residential areas.
But Assistant Director of Education, Hsu Show-hoo, said there would not be any major shortage, because 400 children were likely to drop out by the end of this school year because of emigration and other reasons.
The problem would also partly be solved by schools adding two ''discretionary'' places per class, he said.
The shortfall was unexpected, he said, because the original estimate of 85,000 Form One places would mean a surplus of 700 places this September.