Dip of 3 per cent in Hong Kong Form One applications expected, but competition still fierce among elite schools
- More than 53,200 Primary Six pupils are likely to be vying for 15,400 Form One places in the discretionary admission stage
- Figure represents a 3 per cent drop from 55,000 in the previous year
The number of applications for first-year secondary school students in Hong Kong for the coming academic cycle is expected to dip by 3 per cent, but competition among elite schools remains tight.
According to the Education Bureau, more than 53,200 Primary Six pupils are likely to be in the race for 15,400 Form One places in schools in the discretionary admission stage, meaning at least three candidates will be vying for one slot.
The first phase of admissions – where parents and students are allowed to choose the schools – began on Monday.
The application figure represented a small drop of 3 per cent from 55,000 in the previous year, even though previous official forecasts showed the number of 12-year-olds was expected to rise gradually over five years from last year.
While applications can be submitted by mail amid the pandemic, a number of anxious parents still arrived, documents in hand, at elite boys’ school Queen’s College in Causeway Bay.