A student at St. Hilary's Primary School takes some disinfectant hand-gel as she enters the school, in Hong Kong on April 19, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – About half of the pupils will be offered a discretionary place in government and aided primary schools, the Education Bureau announced on Friday, with results of primary one discretionary places set to be announced on Monday.

“There are 43,755 children applying for discretionary places in government and aided primary schools this year, of whom 21,724 will be offered a place in these schools,” the Education Bureau said in a statement.

Registration of successful applicant children should be made on Nov 23 or Nov 24 during school hours according to the arrangements of individual schools

Of them, total 11,790 children are applicants with their siblings studying or with parents working in the schools that they have applied to, whereas the remaining 9,934 have been selected according to the Points System, the EDB added.

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Registration of successful applicant children should be made on Nov 23 or Nov 24 during school hours according to the arrangements of individual schools.

"Parents who cannot register within the specified period should notify the person-in-charge of the school in advance to make alternative arrangements. Otherwise, they will be deemed to have given up their discretionary place," said an EDB spokesman.

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Under the Primary One Admission System, each government or aided primary school may make use of about 50 percent of its total Primary One places as discretionary places. The approximately 50 percent of places remaining will be reserved for Central Allocation at a later stage.

"For applications for participation in Primary One Admission 2023 made after Feb 5, parents are required to approach the School Places Allocation Section of the Education Bureau to complete the necessary procedures. The Education Bureau will separately arrange a Primary One place for the applicant children in June 2023,” the spokesman added.