The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will ask subsidized primary schools that cannot meet minimum enrollment numbers to merge with others, or to undergo phased closures, as a record 15 schools will be unable to operate a subsidized primary one class for the 2026/27 academic year, the Education Bureau announced on Tuesday.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said at a news briefing that 14 subsidized schools and one government school had failed to meet the minimum admission requirement of 16 students. The schools have been instructed to inform parents of the situation on Tuesday afternoon.

Choi said that the persistent decline in primary one student numbers shows no sign of abating, with a drop of 4,000 students expected in the next school year. She projected that by the 2035 academic year, the school-age population will have shrink to just 38,000.

In response to the structural population decline, the bureau has refined its planning options for subsidized primary schools.

Under the refined plans, schools that fail to secure enough students to form a subsidized primary one class may choose to merge with another institution. Those that proceed with a merger and continue to operate subsidized primary one classes are eligible for a one-off grant of up to HK$1 million ($127,610) to cover related expenses.

If the merged school fails to secure a subsidized primary one class in the first three years, it will be granted a one-time exemption and can participate unconditionally in the following year’s admission.

ALSO READ: 19,656 Hong Kong pupils secure Primary 1 discretionary places

Schools may also opt for a phased closure, where the sponsoring body may decide to cease operation of the entire school or specific grades. In such cases, the EDB said it will provide support for affected students to transfer to other public schools.

Schools can also choose to operate primary one classes under a private, self-funded model. These classes must remain privately run until that cohort completes the six-year primary curriculum, and while the school must cover all costs, they are not permitted to charge tuition fees.

The bureau said that schools must make early arrangements for students, particularly those in primary five, to ensure they do not have to transfer to a new school for their final year of primary education.

All government funding for schools that fail to select an approved plan will cease starting from the third school year counting from that year they first fail to operate a subsidized primary one class.

The EDB said it will extend until 2028-29 the limits on “door-knocking” placements — where parents seek entry to preferred schools. The trial measure, launched three years ago, caps such places at two for 25-pupil classes and one for 30-pupil classes.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com