Joy for many Hong Kong pupils over school allocation but some still door-knocking

Wu, who will attend the same school, said: “We have been classmates since kindergarten and six years in primary school. I’m very excited and moved.”

“This is only the beginning of another phase. To me, developing core values through our Catholic faith is more important than academic results. I hope that through God’s guidance, he can receive a good education,” he said.

Ngai said he was relieved to get into St. Paul’s College as he was drawn to its friendly environment and variety of STEM activities.

“I thought I would end up door-knocking if I couldn’t get in,” she said, referring to the common practice of applying directly to a school after failing to get in via the central allocation system. “My parents had high expectations and I was so glad I got it,”

The pupil said her ideal secondary school life would be less stressful, allowing her more time to pursue her personal interests such as learning K-pop and skipping rope.

At Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road), parents who were dissatisfied with their children’s school allocation requested recommendation letters from the principal so they could use it for door-knocking at their desired schools.

However, with a higher number of students advancing to secondary school this year, the competition for spots at popular schools has become more intense, and those aiming to get into their preferred schools stand a lower chance of success than in previous years.

At Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road), 89 per cent of students were allocated one of their top three choices of schools, slightly slower than the city’s average rate of 91 per cent.

Margaret Chow Ling-ling, the school’s principal, attributed the lower rate to parents’ higher expectations in picking top schools, as well as increased competition from mainland Chinese students accepted to local schools through the government’s talent schemes.

“Among school principals, we have noticed that more transfer students are coming to Hong Kong to study through the top talent pass scheme,” she said.

“For our school, we have accepted Primary Five students through these schemes. As they participate in the central allocation system, this naturally increases the pool of students looking for a spot in secondary school.”

Chow believed the competition between mainland students and local students was “inevitable but positive”.

“There will inevitably be some competition between local students and others from the mainland, but we don’t think there’s a need to worry too much. We don’t distinguish between local and non-local students,” she said.

“Every child, whether from the mainland China or local, adds to Hong Kong’s vitality in society. So I believe that in a fair competition, that’s a positive thing.”

She added that the door-knocking practice among parents would persist, as some were “overly ambitious” in choosing their preferred schools, even if their children were assigned to a school within their top three choices. She encouraged parents to be supportive of their children and trust the schools they were assigned to.

“I’m more worried about parents attempting door-knocking too many times, which might affect students’ self confidence,” she said. “As long as children put in effort and parents support them with an encouraging mindset without putting too much pressure on them, they will be all right.”