8th January 2025 – (Hong Kong) The unified allocation for primary one admissions in 2025 is set to commence on Monday, 13th January. The Education Bureau released today the “POA 2025 Choice of School List by School Net for Central Allocation,” which outlines provisional school places and assesses the enrolment situation during the self-allocation phase.
According to calculations based on a minimum class size of 16 students, at least 38 primary schools have enrolled only 15 students, falling short of the required numbers. Alarmingly, 13 of these schools reported single-digit enrolments. If these institutions cannot secure enough students to meet the minimum requirement during the central allocation phase, they risk being classified as “zero-class schools,” leading to a loss of government funding and potential closure.
Among the most affected schools are Tun Yu School in Yuen Long and S.K.H. Tseung Kwan O Kei Tak Primary School in Po Lam. Tun Yu School has 25 available places during the self-allocation phase but only managed to enrol three students. Similarly, S.K.H. Tseung Kwan O Kei Tak Primary School has 63 places available but has also recorded just three enrolments, leaving both schools 13 students short of the 16 required to form a class.
The situation is particularly dire in the Sha Tin and Sai Kung districts, each with three schools facing such low enrolments. Additionally, two schools are located in outlying islands, while others are scattered across Central and Western Districts, Southern District, Yuen Long District, Wong Tai Sin District, and Tai Po District. Notably, CCC Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School has enrolled eight students but still needs eight more to reach the minimum class size.
In contrast, Yan Chai Hospital Chiu Tsang Hok Wan Primary School, which faced a “zero-class” status last year, has successfully enrolled 27 students this time, meeting the class threshold and potentially elevating its status.
Furthermore, preliminary statistics suggest that approximately 1,700 places originally designated for the central allocation are being reduced due to various factors, including the acceptance of “legacy students” during the self-allocation phase and reserved places for repeaters. P.L.K. Stanley Ho Sau Nan Primary School in Kowloon City has the highest number of occupied places, with 26 filled, while Tai Po Old Market Public School has 24 occupied.
In response to inquiries, the Education Bureau indicated that around 41,800 children are expected to participate in the primary one admission process this year, including approximately 330 cross-border students, an increase of about 70 from the previous year. The dedicated network for cross-border students offers 372 places, up by 50 from last year. Currently, 20,644 self-allocated places have been filled, with an anticipated 21,100 applications for the central allocation, consistent with figures from the previous year.
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