'Give Schools More Time To Attract New Pupils'

The lawmaker representing the education sector on Monday appealed to the authorities to reconsider their decision not to give five schools grants to run primary one classes in the next academic year after they failed to attract enough pupils.

The schools don't have the minimum 16 pupils required per class under the government's central allocation system.

Chu Kwok-keung said the decision not to provide these schools with the grants is unfair and officials haven't taken into account factors such as the pandemic and the quality of the schools.

In an interview with RTHK, Chu said the Education Bureau should have warned schools in advance about a decrease in the city's student population.

He said the authorities should offer these schools more time, between two months and a year, to attract more students.

"Some schools didn't expect that they wouldn't be able to attract enough pupils until they received the letters from the government," he said.

"These schools have been running for decades and have received commendations in school inspection reports. It is a significant blow to them that they could not attract enough pupils due to a drop in population."

He added that to avoid such situations in the future, schools should develop long-term development plans to enhance their uniqueness and selling points so they can attract more students.

Meanwhile, one of the five schools – The Confucian Tai Shing Primary School in Wong Tai Sin – said it has applied to run a primary one class on a private basis.

It said it plans to transform the school into a non-profit private institution within the next three years.