Family ties that bind: Hong Kong parents upset local school admits cross-border pupils automatically

Parents living in Sheung Shui have complained that the siblings of cross-border pupils are automatically granted discretionary Primary One places at a popular school there - spaces they say should have gone to local children.

Many expressed their disappointment as they arrived at Wai Chow Public School yesterday for the release of results from the allocation exercise. Almost 27 per cent of the school's 75 discretionary places were "inherited" by cross-border children whose siblings were studying or parents working at the school.

Each year, governmentfunded schools set aside about half of their Primary One places for discretionary allocation according to certain rules. Students who cannot gain a place on the back of family members must compete for slots based on a points system, with points awarded for factors including religious background and family affiliation with the school or school operator.

READ MORE: From Shenzhen to Hong Kong: The long cross-border trek for a special breed of schoolchildren

Those who fail to win a discretionary place must take part in the government's central allocation exercise, under which places are allocated based on where applicants live and a lucky draw system.

Wan Kam-wah, a 60-year-old driver whose five-year-old son failed to gain a place at Wai Chow, said cross-border children had taken resources from local parents.

"The government policy has failed us," said Wan, who lives about 15 minutes' walk from the school. "We have to compete for everything [with parents living on the mainland]. The government's education policy is really a failure."

Lin Dongqin, whose home is only a three-minute walk from Wai Chow, also failed to secure a place for her five-year-old son. She said she was disappointed some of the discretionary places had been taken by children living across the border.