15 Hong Kong schools risk closure as falling numbers trigger Primary One ban

2026.03.17 14:20 Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School is among those at risk of closure. Photo: Handout Fifteen Hong Kong public primary schools are at risk of closing after being banned from operating subsidised Primary One classes in the coming academic year due to insufficient enrolment But Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin also warned on Tuesday that more closures were expected if school operators refused to plan for mergers. The at-risk institutions comprise 14 subsidised locations and one government school. Among the tally is city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s alma mater, the Five Districts Business Welfare Association School in Sham Shui Po. Others include Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School in Eastern district and the Fresh Fish Traders’ School in Tai Kok Tsui. Choi noted that the number of students joining the Primary One allocation system for the 2026-27 school year had dropped by 4,000 compared with 2025-26, resulting in 15 public primary schools being unable to secure the required 16 students each to operate a Primary One class. In comparison, two schools had insufficient enrolment in 2025-26. Choi said the worst was yet to come due to the structural decline in the student population. “The number may fall further next year if you notice the declining birth rate. We have to turn a new page today and use new thinking to tackle the problem,” she said. “Only planning one step ahead cannot offer us a stable environment.” According to the Education Bureau, the number of six-year-olds is forecast to drop from this year’s figure of 47,000 to 38,300 in 2035. Under the current policy, a local school must secure at least 16 students to run one subsidised Primary One class. Schools that fail to secure one class have to submit survival plans to the government and face closure after three years if the plans are not approved. Christine Choi has said the government has already used various relief measures to soften the impact of a shrinking population. Pho

原文链接: 南华早报