Fifteen Hong Kong public primary schools risk closure after being banned from running subsidised Primary One classes next year due to low enrolment, the highest number in recent years. Education Secretary Christine Choi Yuk-lin warned that more closures loom if operators refuse mergers. Primary One allocation participants dropped by 4000 from last year.
Fifteen Hong Kong public primary schools are at risk of closure after authorities banned them from operating subsidised Primary One classes in the 2026-27 academic year due to insufficient enrolment. Deputy Secretary for Education Ida Lee Bik-sai described the figure as “a record high in recent years” for one government and 14 subsidised schools. Among them is city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s alma mater, the Five Districts Business Welfare Association School in Sham Shui Po, as well as Shau Kei Wan Government Primary School in Eastern district and the Fresh Fish Traders’ School in Tai Kok Tsui. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin warned on Tuesday that more closures were expected if school operators refused to plan for mergers. She noted that the number of students joining the Primary One allocation system for 2026-27 had dropped by 4000 compared with 2025-26, leaving the 15 schools unable to secure the required 16 students each.