Hong Kong students may have harder time getting preferred school spots as city halves number of ‘door-knocking’ places for Secondary One classes
- Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council welcomes decision by Education Bureau, as practice of students switching schools creates ‘musical chairs effect’
- Bureau says only one out of two spots set aside for repeat students can be used to enrol pupils unhappy with school places after announcement of central allocation results
Hong Kong students who fail to get into their preferred school through the central allocation system may have a harder time securing a place at one of their other top choices, after authorities halved the number of “door-knocking” spots for Secondary One classes.
The Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council on Wednesday welcomed the decision by the Education Bureau, as the door-knocking arrangement created a “musical chairs effect” as students constantly switched schools.
Pupils are allocated places at secondary schools in two stages. The first batch of students are granted spots based on factors such as academic and interview performance, while the rest must take part in the computer-based central allocation.
The results for the second stage are expected to be announced next Tuesday.
“After careful consideration and listening to the opinions of stakeholders, the Education Bureau decided that only one repeater quota in each Secondary One class can be used to admit non-repeaters starting from the 2023-24 school year,” it told schools in a letter.
The bureau added that the new policy ensured such spots would be used for their original purpose, which are for repeaters. The school sector generally agreed the reduction of door-knocking places would partly prevent a “musical chair effect” of pupils switching places that threatened schools’ survival amid a decline in the student population.
The number of Primary Six students joining the allocation system has fallen from 54,112 in 2020-21 to 52,055 in 2021-22 and further to 49,448 in 2022-23.
The number of Primary Six students studying in public and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools is about 49,363. The figure is expected to be updated soon.
‘Drastic drop’ in Hong Kong parents seeking ‘door-knocking’ spots at popular schools
The bureau said the reduction in discretionary spaces would be implemented on a trial basis for three academic years starting from 2023-24, warning it would check if schools followed the new rules during the headcount exercise at campuses in September.
“The Education Bureau will follow up on schools that violate the rules,” it said.
Lee Yi-ying, head of the Subsidised Secondary School Council, said her organisation welcomed the policy and called it a “relief measure” amid a decline in student numbers.
“It could help stabilise the sector and reduce the shock brought by the decrease in student number,” she said.
Lee, who is also a secondary school principal in Kowloon Tong, pointed to last year’s 83 per cent satisfaction rate among students hoping to get a spot at their school of choice, saying parents should not worry given the record high figure.
Schools could still offer school places which had not been registered after central allocation to “door-knocking students”, she said.
Hong Kong secondary schools latest slated for cuts to ‘door-knocking’ places
In 2021 and 2022, the Education Bureau called on secondary schools to use the discretionary places only for repeaters, as it was the original purpose.
According to official statistics, there were nearly 1,600 Secondary One classes in government and aided secondary schools during the last school year.
But principals have said the new policy would leave 1,600 discretionary spots up for grabs, since unpopular schools were unlikely to receive any applications from students.
