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Chan Ho-him

Anxious parents flocked to Hong Kong schools on Monday to see if they were successful in securing the Primary One school places they wanted for their children.
They turned up at schools in the morning to check the discretionary allocations despite social unrest causing traffic chaos in the city and guidelines for schools to post the results online.
Parents of more than 52,473 children had applied for their preferred primary school for the 2020/21 school year.
A total of 23,340 places were allocated as requested, a success rate of 44.5 per cent, according to the Education Bureau.
That was a slight increase of 0.4% from the previous year and represents an eight-year high.
The discretionary system allows parents to state their preferred school for their child before a central allocation for those who are unsuccessful or do not apply.

The Education Bureau said it had earlier advised schools to release the results online and help parents access the results over the phone, with road blockades by protesters causing major disruption for a second week in a row.
But schools should remain open with staff on standby to assist those who still wanted to check results at schools, said the bureau’s guidelines.
With the unrest showing little sign of easing, the bureau announced separately that class suspensions at all schools would continue on Tuesday. Classes have been not been running since last Thursday.
More than 10 parents showed up at La Salle Primary School, near Kowloon Tong, one of the city’s top schools, at about 9am on Monday, when the results were announced. Several of those said the results were not released online by early morning.
Mrs Kwok, 25, who arrived on a minibus from Kowloon Bay, said she was not upset her son missed out because she did not expect him to meet the requirements of the “points system”.
Her son received just 15 points – five points for being a firstborn child and 10 as an “applicant at the correct age from five to seven years old”.
The average number of points to win a place was about 25, she said.
Points are also awarded on the basis of religious affiliation and if the child’s parents had attended the same school, for example.
Kwok said she had also applied to several other direct subsidy scheme primary schools as backup, which have separate application systems. Those schools have greater freedom in areas such as the curriculum and setting fees.
Tears of joy after fierce battle for primary school places
Mrs Leung, who is in her 70s, said she had walked about 35 minutes from To Kwa Wan to the school in Kowloon Tong because her grandson’s parents could not see the results online, only to find out her grandson did not get a place.
“I don’t feel [disappointed]. He’s just a kid, [we] just wanted to let him try it out,” she said.
The admission system for Primary One students has two stages. About half of the places are allocated through the discretionary round, where parents get to choose one preferred school for their child.
For those whose application for a discretionary place are unsuccessful or if they did not apply, they will be included government’s central allocation next year.
At nearby top girls’ school Maryknoll Convent School (Primary Section), also in Kowloon Tong, some parents also arrived to see the allocation results.
Angry parents ‘door-knock’ top schools in Primary One admissions fallout
Mr Leung, in his 30s, said he felt “relieved” after his younger daughter was admitted. She was offered a place by default because her sibling was already at the school.
Among the 23,340 discretionary places offered this year, about 56.6% – or 13,211 places – were given to children with one or more siblings studying there, or had parents working at the same school, a 3.5% increase from last year.
The number of cross-border pupils have been in decline over the past few years after the government banned local hospitals in 2013 from admitting women from mainland China to give birth.
At Fung Kai No 1 Primary School in Sheung Shui, competition was less intense this year as the school received no more than 140 applications – about 40 fewer than last year – to compete for a total of 60 discretionary places on offer.

Principal Chu Wai-lam said he expected the drop in applicants to stabilise when families moved into new housing estates in the area over the next few years.
Meanwhile, parents of successful applicants for discretionary places will need to register in person at respective schools on Wednesday or Thursday during school hours.
‘Rethink needed’ on Hong Kong Primary One places allocation system as success rate hits new low
The Education Bureau said on Monday the period for doing so had been extended to Friday “in view of the recent social situation”.
So Ping-fai, chairman of the Subsidised Primary School Council, said if “unexpected circumstances” meant parents had difficulties attending the registration amid the unrest they should contact the school, who he said were likely to offer some flexibility.
The bureau said classes might resume for primary and secondary schools, as well as some special schools, on Wednesday at the earliest, while kindergartens would not have classes until Monday.


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Education in Hong Kong

Primary One places at Hong Kong schools revealed after anxious wait for parents

Parents see if their children have been allocated their preferred school when the discretionary results were revealed on Monday morning. Photo: May Tse

Parents check the release of primary school discretionary places results at Maryknoll Convent School (Primary Section)  in Kowloon Tong. 18NOV19  SCMP / May Tse

Maryknoll Convent School (Primary Section)  in Kowloon Tong. 18NOV19  SCMP / May Tse

News

Hong Kong

Education


Disappointment and joy as parents brave protest mayhem to learn if their child is bound for school of choice
Success rate of 45 per cent is eight-year high under discretionary application system involving 52,473 children



Disappointment and joy as parents brave protest mayhem to learn if their child is bound for school of choice. Success rate of 45 per cent is eight-year high under discretionary system for Primary One places.
