Hong Kong watchdog warns parents not to offer bribes to secure school spots for children after mother charged for trying to pay off headmistress with HK$20,000
- Li Junping allegedly tried to bribe a headmistress to secure primary one placement for her son, Independent Commission Against Corruption says
- Headmistress said to have rejected offer and school filed corruption complaint on the same day
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has warned parents not to offer bribes in exchange for school placements after a mother was charged with attempting to pay off a headmistress with HK$20,000 (US$2,558) to secure a spot for her son.
Li Junping, a 45-year-old housewife, on Wednesday was charged with offering an advantage to a public servant, the Independent Commission Against Corruption said.
The watchdog said the Education Bureau released the results of its central allocation for primary one admission for September 2022 on June 1 and 2 last year. Parents who were dissatisfied with the results could apply to their preferred schools to seek admission for their children.
Hennessy Road Government Primary School (Causeway Bay) received an application form for a primary one placement for Li’s son on June 6, 2022.
The youngster went to an admission interview in mid-June 2022, but he was not invited by the school for a second interview.
“It is alleged that on July 18, 2022, the defendant offered a bribe of HK$20,000 in cash to the headmistress at the school for securing a primary one placement for her son,” the anti-corruption agency said.
The watchdog said the headmistress rejected the offer and a corruption complaint was filed by the school the same day.
The school placement application of the defendant’s son was unsuccessful the authority said.
The agency said it was grateful to the school for reporting allegations of corruption and for its help during an investigation into the incident.
“The ICAC reminds parents to strictly follow the established procedures when making school admission applications for their children,” the authority said. “Parents should never offer bribes in exchange for school placements.”
The ICAC said it had published a checklist for “governance and internal control” in schools, which included corruption prevention advice covering admissions.
Li was released on bail. She will appear in Eastern Court on Friday for a plea.
