Hong Kong parents cite waning competition for school places as discretionary admission exercise kicks off, point to broader emigration wave
- Fewer than 20 parents turned up at Queen’s College in Causeway Bay between 9am and 11am on Monday, the first day of the application exercise
- Some parents say they chose the school in part because they believe acceptance rate would be higher given recent emigration wave
Hong Kong parents said competition for school places for their children had waned as a discretionary admission exercise kicked off on Monday, with some pointing to an overall withdrawal of students amid a broader emigration wave as the cause.
The city’s schools have been losing pupils since the summer holidays, with the latest official figures showing there were 6,016 and 193 new vacancies at secondary and primary schools respectively between August and the end of November last year.
At Queen’s College, an elite secondary school in Causeway Bay, fewer than 20 parents turned up in the two hours after it opened at 9am on Monday, the first day of the application exercise that runs until January 17.
A mother who identified herself as Teng said she was surprised to be the first to arrive there at 8.40am, as the first day of the discretionary admission stage used to be marked by long queues of parents outside the city’s top schools.
Only three parents were behind Teng at 9am.
“I heard that last year there was a long queue as early as 8am,” she said. “Today’s experience gave me a feeling that it may be easier for my son to enter the school [due to the wave of emigration].”
Another parent, Mrs Yau, said she chose Queen’s College in part having learned about the city’s drop-out rate.
“From what I saw from news report, it seems that many students dropped out,” she said. “The possibility of [my son] getting accepted may be better this year.”