Hong Kong government declines to overhaul school catchment system, focuses on flexible land use for Northern Territories
The Hong Kong government has stated it has no plans to overhaul the current school catchment system, despite concerns about cross-district commuting and demographic shifts. It will instead focus on flexible land use in the Northern Territories and a new 'Confluence Upgrade Plan' to support school me
The Hong Kong government has told the Legislative Council it has no plans to comprehensively review the current school catchment area system, despite data from the 2021 census showing nearly half of all full-time students commute across districts. In a written reply on 28 October, the Education Bureau emphasised the existing system's stability is crucial for school development and parental choice, and that it is widely accepted by society.
The bureau noted that the current Primary One catchment system divides Hong Kong's 18 districts into 36 sub-areas, while Secondary One placement follows the 18 administrative districts. The core policy objective, it said, is to ensure students can attend school locally or in nearby areas. The system already allows for cross-district choice through discretionary places and a portion of the central allocation process. The government said it annually reviews supply and demand, making minor adjustments to catchment boundaries where necessary after consulting stakeholders.
Regarding the Northern Territories development, the government confirmed it has already reserved over 10 primary and secondary school sites in the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North new development areas. It has allocated two primary school sites through its fair and open mechanism for relocating existing schools, rather than establishing new ones, to avoid putting pressure on existing schools in areas with falling student numbers. The bureau said future allocations will prioritise relocations, encouraging school bodies to move from areas with surplus capacity to new development zones.
To support school bodies in adjusting their scale, the government pointed to the 'Confluence Upgrade Plan' announced in the 2026 Policy Address, which encourages suitable government-funded primary and secondary schools to merge, consolidate resources and improve education quality. The Education Bureau has set up a dedicated taskforce to work out implementation details, including eligibility thresholds and the feasibility of cross-funding-mode mergers.
For children of incoming talent, the government noted that dependants of those admitted under various talent schemes can attend government, direct subsidy, private or international schools without prior immigration approval. The Education Bureau has expanded placement support services from Primary One to Secondary Three up to Secondary Six, and now accepts applications for school places from families still awaiting their talent scheme results. It said it will continue to monitor demand and review supply from both public and private schools.
