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Education in Hong Kong
Hong KongEducation

Hong Kong school facing axe over pupil shortfall intends to push for review or self-finance Primary One class to survive

  • C.C.C. Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School on outlying island unlikely to opt for merger as suggested by authorities, lawmaker says
  • The school received a total of 15 applications, just one short of the mark needed to operate class

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C.C.C. Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School. Photo: Google Maps
William Yiu
A school in Hong Kong facing closure because it failed to enrol enough Primary One pupils is intending to push for a review from education authorities or dig into its coffers to bear operation costs for the class, a lawmaker has revealed.

Education legislator Chu Kwok Keung on Wednesday voiced outrage on a radio show that C.C.C. Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School could be forced to shut down after receiving 15 student applications for discretionary places – just one short of the requirement of 16 per class.

Chu said he met the school’s management team the night before to discuss a way out for the campus. The school, located on an outlying island, was informed by the Education Bureau last Friday that it was not approved to operate any Primary One classes.

Under standard procedures, it may face closure in three years because of an insufficient Primary One intake.

Cheung Chau in Hong Kong waters. Photo: Roy Issa
Cheung Chau in Hong Kong waters. Photo: Roy Issa

The bureau on Tuesday said alternatives included applying for a review, self-financing a class or merging with other institutions.

Chu said: “The school may consider applying for a review or operating the Primary One class in a self-financing mode. It thinks both options are relatively feasible.”

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