Hong Kong education is characterised by keen competition. From enrolment to examination, pupils have to outperform their peers to get the best school places. In theory, there is nothing wrong with this as long as the contest is fair and open. But the system is compromised by special rights and privileges. The recent primary one admission results are a case in point.
The number of children able to attend the school of their choice in the first phase of admission has hit a 15-year low, with only 43.3 per cent of the 49,914 children being accepted. This is apparently due to an awkward allocation system that allows schools to first set aside a certain percentage of places for applicants whose brothers and sisters are already studying in the school. The rest are given out under a points system, followed by centralised allocation.
It is easy to understand why the priority given to siblings has been mocked as a feudalistic "succession" system. If a family manages to get their first child into an elite school, the brothers and sisters are almost guaranteed a place. The same privilege is extended to cross-border mainland children, who have been accused of taking away school places from locals in the New Territories. The second child in the family can also get a fast-track enrolment to the same school. This makes admission for locals even more difficult.
The long-standing arrangement was made with good intentions in that it is more convenient for parents to take children to the same school. But if it has evolved into a system of entrenched privilege, a rethink is perhaps warranted. Those who benefit of course see nothing wrong with the mechanism. But for parents who lose out, the system has deprived their children of a fair chance to attend the school they prefer.
Succession has no place in a modern education system. Arrangements that compromise fairness should not be tolerated. It is perhaps time to review the admission system to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.