ENG-2018 — Page 169

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Education

Kindergarten Education

Kindergarten education is not compulsory. Nevertheless, the proportion of children aged three to five attending kindergartens was about 100 per cent in the 2017-18 school year.

Under the new kindergarten education policy implemented from 2017-18, a direct subsidy. which is, in principle, sufficient for the provision of quality half-day service to all eligible children aged between three and six is provided to local non-profit-making kindergartens that join the new kindergarten education scheme. In tandem, the quality of education provided by the participating kindergartens is enhanced, including by raising the required teacher-pupil ratio from 1:15 to 1:11, revising the curriculum guide, promoting teachers' professional development, strengthening support to students with diverse needs, enhancing the quality assurance framework and promoting parent education. Out of about 1,030 kindergartens in 2018-19, about 780 were local non-profit-making kindergartens eligible to join the scheme and 753 had joined.

Primary Education

Public-sector primary schools offer six years' free education. A child starts primary education at about age six. In September, 301,891 children were enrolled in 456 public-sector primary schools, comprising 34 government schools and 422 aided schools. In addition, 21 DSS primary schools offered 16,413 places and 64 private primary schools offered 40,191 places.

Admissions to Primary 1 in public-sector schools are administered through the centralised Primary One Admission System, divided into two stages: Discretionary Places Admission and Central Allocation. Each school will first earmark about half of its Primary 1 places as discretionary places, and parents may apply to only one government or aided school in any school catchment area, or 'school net. The remaining half are for central allocation. Of these, 10 per cent are meant for parents to make up to three unrestricted school choices from any school net for their child, while 90 per cent are for parents to make restricted school choices in the school net of their residence in order of preference.

Secondary Education

Public-sector secondary schools also provide six years' free education. In September, 255,425 students were enrolled in 392 public-sector secondary schools, comprising 359 aided schools, 31 government schools and two caput schools that are subsidised mainly according to the number of students admitted. There were also 60 DSS secondary schools offering 55,357 places and 20 private secondary schools offering 8,580 places.

All students undergo three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary education leading to the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE).

Subsidised Secondary 1 places are allocated through the Secondary School Places Allocation System, divided into two stages: Discretionary Places and Central Allocation. Schools participating in the system reserve not more than 30 per cent of their Secondary 1 places as discretionary places and parents may apply for their child direct to not more than two

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