More Form One classes to be axed this year, say education officials

More Form One classes are expected to be cut this year because of a drop in the number of pupils entering secondary schools, education officials said yesterday.

But the officials added that the measures already taken to eliminate 3,500 places would help the schools cope with this year's estimated surplus of 4,500 places.

Education undersecretary Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said during a Legislative Council education panel meeting yesterday that a policy implemented to shrink class sizes turned out to be more effective than expected last year.

Although up to 50 classes were expected to be closed because of the surplus of Form One places, only 12 were cut eventually, he said.

"The results last year turned out to be far better than some estimates," said Yeung. "So this is why we are confident [in dealing with the problem this year]."

But a joint committee of secondary school councils and principals said the situation could get more serious over the years, estimating a surplus of more than 7,000 Form One places by the 2016-17 academic year.

Yeung did not say whether he agreed with the joint committee's projection, but said the extent of the surplus depended on various factors, including parents' choices of secondary schools for their children.