Interview drills may hurt applicants, says head of Diocesan Boys' School

Parents desperate to see their children among the 80 of more than 1,000 applicants who will win a place at the elite Diocesan Boys' School next year won't help their cause by drilling them on how to behave during interviews.

That was the message yesterday from headmaster Ronnie Cheng Kay-yen, who said the school wanted the youngsters to behave naturally so they would show their true character - and it was easy to spot those who had been coached.

Students who had been to interview classes would appear unnatural "and we can spot it immediately", Cheng said. "We prefer students to show their real characters … not [to behave] like they have been programmed."

Interviews count for 20 per cent of the admission criteria, along with 50 per cent for academic scores and conduct, 25 per cent for extracurricular activities and 5 per cent for a family relationship with the school.

The direct-subsidy school, has its own admission and selection process and does not participate in the government's Secondary School Places Allocation System. It has received more than 1,000 applications for 80 available secondary places, while 150 places have been reserved for children from its primary section.

The fees for the current academic year rose by about 7 per cent due to inflation, but those for 2013-2014 are yet to be set.