Closing struggling Hong Kong schools ‘spares parents from future problems’

2026.03.18 05:20 Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School is among those at risk of closure. Photo: Handout Closing struggling Hong Kong schools in the short term will prevent future problems for parents, the education minister has said, warning that the city has already exhausted all mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the shrinking pupil population. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Wednesday that the problem of under-enrolment remained unresolved despite authorities resorting to different “soft-landing” means to support the sector in response to the structural population decline. “There is no way around the current situation,” she told a radio show. Choi was referring to the announcement that 15 local public primary schools were not approved to operate subsidised Primary One classes in the coming academic year due to insufficient enrolment. The schools, which admitted fewer than 16 Primary One students each, have opted to merge with other institutions or operate the classes on a self-financing basis. They may also face total closure after three years if their survival plans are not approved. “We need to break through old ways of thinking for the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s education,” Choi said. “In the long run, we don’t want to cause parents any trouble or inconvenience. If we have many schools struggling to enrol students, it will actually create instability for the entire education system.” Choi also revealed that the bureau had contacted about 100 parents who had signed up their children for Primary One classes at the 15 affected schools for the coming September, and would arrange school places for their children. The government has said that the number of students joining the Primary One allocation system for the 2026-27 school year dropped by 4,000 compared with 2025-26, resulting in the predicament faced by the 15 public primary schools at risk. The affected institutions include city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s alma mat

原文链接: 南华早报