Govt mulls school closure as primary one enrolment to drop by over 10,000

The Education Bureau is considering reducing the number of schools through a "soft landing" approach, as the population of six-year-old children eligible for Primary One is expected to decrease by 11,100 by 2031.

The authorities have proposed expanding the application eligibility for the merger or suspension of all or part of the grade level schemes to all aided primary schools in Hong Kong, as written by Deputy Secretary for Education Ida Lee Bik-sai on the Bureau's website.

Lee noted that schools approved to operate P1 classes with private funding will be required to manage that cohort for six academic years until the students complete the entire six-year curriculum.

She added that aided primary schools previously approved to operate Primary One classes will not be allowed to apply for the scheme if they fail to secure eligibility for the second time within six academic years.

Meanwhile, she stressed that the measure aims to ensure the overall integrity of school structures and to make effective use of public resources in providing a stable teaching environment.