The Hong Kong government has called for primary schools with low enrollment to merge, after 15 public schools were banned from running Primary One classes in the next academic year due to insufficient pupils.
Education Secretary Christine Choi DONE the suggestion in RTHK on Wednesday, a day after the Education Bureau (EDB) published the results of the division of students in Primary for the academic year 2026-27.
The results showed that 15 primary schools in 10 districts failed to enroll at least 16 pupils for Primary One, and are therefore at risk of closure.
Of these, 14 are aided schools and one government school. The Eastern District is the hardest hit, with four schools.
Hong Kong has seen a declining number of school-age children over the past 10 years, Choi said.
“The government had offered multiple measures for schools (with low student enrollment) in a soft landing over the past few years… Now there is no way to back down, and we must face the issue head on,” Choi said in Cantonese.
She called on schools with insufficient pupils to consider merging.
“The merger period usually takes three years. It allows students of the same class to complete their studies at the same school and gives schools time to resolve issues such as curriculum, teaching workforce, student classes, group divisions, etc,” she told RTHK.
“We set this three-year period to work around the transition period.”
According to EDB guidelines, if the total number of students allocated to a public school under the Primary One Admission System (POAS) is less than 16, and if there are still unfilled places in other schools in the same school network, then the school will not be allowed to run subsidized Primary One classes.
As the school will not be allowed to enroll students through POAS in the future, it is at risk of closing in a few years.
Under a POLICY introduced last year, all aided schools can apply to join other schools.
If the EDB approves the merger of two schools, during the three-year transition period, the new school may enjoy a one-time exemption on the minimum number of students in Primary. But if the school cannot accept 16 more students after that, it will have to close or go private.
Morale of teachers
The 56-year-old school of fresh fish traders in Tai Kok Tsui is among those at risk.
Some parents praised the school for its positive atmosphere and caring teachers, Tsing Tao Daily reported on Wednesday.
Sze Chi-king, the school’s principal, told the newspaper that teachers’ morale had been affected by the EDB’s decision.
Hong Kong has seen an aging population and a record low number of newborn babies.
Citing government statistics, local media reported in January that there were only 31,714 newborn babies registered in 2025 – a record low in the city’s history.
Meanwhile, the population aged 65 and over will grow from 1.5 million in 2021 to 2.52 million in 2039, accounting for more than 30 percent of the city’s population. according to in the Health Bureau.
