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Education

Since the 2017-18 school year, a subsidy sufficient for the provision of good quality half-day service to all eligible children aged three to six is provided to local non-profit-making kindergartens joining the kindergarten education scheme. The quality of education provided by the participating kindergartens is enhanced through a series of support measures. There were about 1,050 kindergartens in 2020-21, of which about 790 were eligible to join the scheme and 763 had done so.

Primary Education

Public-sector primary schools offer six years' free education. A child starts primary education at about age six. In October, some 293,300 children were enrolled in 455 public-sector primary schools, comprising 34 government schools and 421 aided schools. In addition, 21 DSS primary schools offered about 16,500 places and 68 private primary schools offered some 41,400 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, which assigns children who have not been allocated a place during Discretionary Places Admission. At this stage, 10 per cent of the places 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 provide six years' free education. In October, about 257,700 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 59 DSS secondary schools offering some 55,500 places and 22 private secondary schools offering some 9,400 places.

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

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 for parents' direct application to not more than two participating schools in any district. The schools' remaining places, after deducting discretionary and repeater places, are used for central allocation, of which 10 per cent are meant for students from any school net, while 90 per cent are for students from their respective school nets.

Students completing junior secondary education normally remain in the same school for their senior secondary education or attend full-time, fully subvented vocational training courses run by the VTC.

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