Pupils arriving under talent scheme policies not able to cover the shortfall; education sector lawmaker expects a further decline in the student population
Hong Kong schools were forced to axe 70 Primary One classes this year due to the shrinking student population. Photo: Eugene LeeHong Kong continues to grapple with a declining student body as the new academic year begins with 70 Primary One classes at 66 schools being axed. An education sector representative has cautioned that the hordes of pupils arriving in the city under the talent policies umbrella have not been able to cover the shortfall.
Ten schools opened either a single Primary One class or none at all among the tally. This comes after years of declining enrolment that put the institutions at risk of closure as industry veterans warned the worst was yet to come.
The data was revealed in profiles of 453 government and aided primary schools published by the Committee on Home-School Co-operation on Monday.
The reports serve as key reference materials for parents selecting schools for their children.
The latest profiles showed 66 schools had cut a total of 70 Primary One classes in the new academic year. The list includes four institutions that had been forced to close two such classes.
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said a day earlier that three to four primary and secondary schools would cease operation in the next five years. She also said she expected the student population would continue to fall.
The minister revealed that the student enrolment among secondary schools was “very stable” this year and that she saw no need to reduce such classes.
But she said the bureau expected the primary student population to shrink and urged sponsoring bodies to consider merging schools.
“We have always noted that the decline in the school-age population is a structural problem, so we have always aimed for a soft landing … It is hoped that through merger or relocation, [schools] can better serve students and families in need,” she said.
Under current policy, the number of Primary One classes is considered essential to the survival of schools reliant on government funding.
Schools that fail to enrol at least 16 students cannot operate a Primary One class. They must submit a survival plan to the government for approval or be forced to gradually start closing down.
Nine schools only managed to operate one Primary One class in the new school year. Another subsidised institution not among the 66 listed schools failed to enrol 16 students and will run its class without government funds.
The reports also showed that 42 Primary One classes had been gained by schools for the new academic year, putting the overall net reduction at nearly 30. Last year, the latter figure stood at around 60.
Most of this year’s Primary One intake are children born in 2018, when the city recorded 53,700 births. Only 40,293 pupils born in the year have signed up for the public school allocation system.
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The number of births continued to decline in the years afterward, dropping to 32,500 in 2022 before recording a slight uptick to 33,200 in 2023.
Under the allocation system, children hoping to enrol in a Primary One class at a public school for the 2025-26 academic year need to sign up at any one institution as part of the discretionary stage running from September 19 to 27.
Half of the school places for Primary One students have been earmarked for the discretionary stage.
Chu Kwok-keung, a lawmaker representing the education sector and school principal, said that while the reduction in Primary One classes was less than last year, it did not mean the declining trend was set to reverse.
“The sector still deems the shrinking student population to be a serious problem, and the number of people promoted to Primary One in the coming years will still decrease,” he said.
The legislator also said few of the students arriving alongside their parents under the Top Talent Pass Scheme would be studying at a Primary One level. This is because the current enrolment mechanism required youngsters to sign up a year in advance
The Immigration Department said the number of dependents aged under 18 who had their applications approved under the talent scheme, which launched in December of 2022, stood at 47,732.
“Most of the dependents are studying at Hong Kong secondary schools and senior forms at primary schools. Few talent will bring their kids to Hong Kong when they are only six years old,” Chu said.
The lawmaker also urged authorities to support schools for underprivileged students and pupils with special needs, even if failed to meet the enrolment threshold.
“Authorities have to keep the sector as diversified as it can be. Do not axe schools just because they have low student enrolment,” he said.
“The government should also think of their characteristics and their strength in taking care of different types of students.”
Chu also suggested that schools with five Primary One classes could reduce the number to four to ensure other schools could meet the necessary enrolment levels.