Frequently Asked Questions on Placement Assistance

Major kinds of enquiries

Pre-primary education/diversified curriculum and education opportunities

A. Universal basic education

How old can a child be considered within the universal basic education age?

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is committed to providing 12-year’s free primary and secondary education to all eligible local children through public sector schools. Eligible children from the age of 6, have the right to enjoy basic education in public sector schools. Under the existing policy, all parents must send their children (aged 6 to 15) to attend schools.

At what age can a child be allocated with a public sector primary 1 school place through Primary One Admission System?

As at 1 September of every year, children who reach the age of 5 years and 8 months can join the Primary One Admission System. For further information, please contact the School Places Allocation Section of the Education Bureau (EDB).

For school-attending children who cannot continue their studies in the original schools for reasons such as moving houses, how can parents enrol a new school for them?

Parents can seek a school place for their children by the following ways:

Parents may contact schools directly to apply for a place for their children. Schools will take into account their school-based circumstances, such as the availability of school places, when considering the applications. For information of individual schools, please visit “School Profiles” at the website of Committee on Home-School Co-operation, or via the “School Search” engine mentioned on EDB webpage. Parents may also access to relevant school information at the website of International Schools in Hong Kong.
Parents may also approach the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB directly to seek school placement assistance. Our staff will assist them in looking for a school place. For further information, please refer to Question 1 under “Others” or contact the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB.

How can school-age children be allocated a school place in primary 1 (P1) / secondary 1 (S1)?

Generally speaking, P1 / S1 places are allocated by EDB to eligible students through the Primary One Admission System / Secondary School Places Allocation System. If parents wish to enrol their school-age children in P1 / S1 at the beginning of a school year (school term normally starts in early September), they can refer to the website of the School Places Allocation Section of EDB. For school-age children wishing to enrol in P1 / S1 after the commencement of the school term (i.e. after 1 September), parents may contact schools directly to apply for a place for their children or approach the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB to seek placement assistance. For further information, please refer to Question 1 under “Others” or contact the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB.

B. Pre-school education/diversified curriculum and education opportunities

For children aged under 6 (including newly-arrived children) wishing to attend school, how can they get a school place?

All kindergartens (KGs) in Hong Kong are privately run and they can be categorised as non-profit-making (NPM) KGs and private independent (PI) KGs. Parents may contact the kindergarten directly to apply for a place for their children.
The Kindergarten Education Scheme (“Scheme”) has been implemented since the 2017/18 school year by EDB to provide good quality and highly affordable kindergarten education, and enhance the accessibility of students to different modes of services that suit their specific needs.　All KGs joining the Scheme (“Scheme-KGs”) can only admit children holding a valid registration document (i.e. “Registration Certificate for KG Admission” (“RC”) or “Kindergarten Admission Pass” (“AP”)). Parents are required to apply to EDB for an RC from September to November of the year. Children eligible for receiving subsidy under the Scheme will be issued an “RC”. If a child cannot obtain an RC as he / she can receive education in Hong Kong but is not eligible for receiving subsidy under the Scheme, EDB will then issue an AP to the child concerned for registration and admission to a Scheme-KG, but the parents concerned are required to pay full school fees before deduction of subsidy under the “Scheme” as shown on the Fees Certificate of the KG to which the child is admitted.
Application forms and guidance notes are available at District Offices, Post Offices and the Regional Education Offices of EDB. They can also be downloaded from EDB’s website (https://www.edb.gov.hk/applyRC/2425/en/). Applicants may also submit application online (Website: https://eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/edb005/en/). For details of the application for RC, please visit EDB’s website (https://www.edb.gov.hk/k1-admission_e) or call EDB at 3540 6808 / 3540 6811 or the 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system at tel: 2891 0088.
Parents may telephone or visit the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB to obtain the information of kindergartens. Parents may also visit the “Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres” at the website of Committee on Home-School Co-operation for information of individual schools.

If parents want to arrange school transfer for their children to continue their study because of personal reasons, such as looking for alternative curriculum to cultivate their children etc., how can parents obtain information and find a suitable school for them?

Parents should first consider carefully the interests and learning abilities of their children, and their aptitudes and needs for deciding whether they should study in the original school. If parents wish to arrange school transfer for their children to continue their study, they may apply to the schools directly.
For information of individual schools, please visit “School Profiles” at the website of Committee on Home-School Co-operation.
Parents may contact the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB. Our staff will provide the relevant information as appropriate.

How does EDB assist student dropouts aged over 15?

For student dropouts aged over 15, EDB will place them back to the schools last attended or other schools, depending on such circumstances as parental choices, student learning ability and vacancy situation of school. With parents’ consent, EDB may provide these students with the information of training programmes or courses which cater for their needs to prepare them for resumption of normal schooling. For enquiries, please contact Non-attendance Cases Team at 3698 4411.

What are the ways provided by EDB for adults to further their studies or enhance their employment skills?

Financial assistance under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses is provided to adult learners attending evening secondary courses run by the Approved Course Providers in designated centres.

Diploma of Applied Education (DAE) Programme provides an alternative pathway for secondary 6 school leavers as well as adult learners to obtain a formal qualification for the purposes of employment and further study. The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications has assessed and confirmed that for students who have successfully completed the DAE Programme, the qualification thus obtained is deemed comparable to the attainment of Level 2 standard in five subjects including Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination.

C. Placement of Newly-arrived Children

What supporting documents do non-local children need to have if they are to be enrolled in schools in Hong Kong?

Non-local children may enter or reside in Hong Kong for the purpose of education only with approval of the Director of Immigration. Thus, non-local children may enter or reside in Hong Kong for the purpose of education only with the approval of the Director of Immigration. For details, please visit the Immigration Department’s website: https://www.immd.gov.hk/.

Non-local children need to hold valid documents to enter public sector schools. For details, please refer to the prevailing EDB Circular on “Entry of Non-local Children and Children Holding a Form of Recognizance to Schools in Hong Kong”. In general, persons who have student visas can reside in Hong Kong for the purpose of education in non-public sector schools (including private schools, Private Independent Schools, Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, English Schools Foundation schools or international schools) only. They cannot be admitted to public sector schools.

On the other hand, unless clearance is obtained from the Director of Immigration, no child whose travel document / passport bears the endorsement “Visitor” over the immigration stamp or issued with a landing slip imposed with condition of stay “Visitor” upon arrival should be admitted to any school in Hong Kong.

How can newly-arrived children apply for a school place in primary 1 (P1) / secondary 1 (S1)?

Generally speaking, P1 / S1 places are allocated by EDB to eligible students through the Primary One Admission System / Secondary School Places Allocation System. If parents wish to enrol their newly-arrived children in P1 / S1 at the beginning of a school year (school term normally starts in early September), they should apply for a school place at the School Places Allocation Section of EDB on or before 31 August, bringing along the original entry identity documents of their children. For children arriving in Hong Kong after the commencement of the school term (i.e. after 1 September), parents may contact schools directly to apply for a place for their children or approach the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB to seek placement assistance. For further information, please refer to Question 1 under “Others” or contact the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB.

If the newly-arrived children have been studying in junior or senior secondary classes in the Mainland / overseas, how can their academic levels be aligned with the local education system?

The education system and curriculum of different places are not completely the same. Therefore, as a normal practice, schools will interview the applicant child and assess his / her suitable class level before making the admission arrangement.

How can newly-arrived children get a school place in Hong Kong?

Newly-arrived children can seek a school place by any of the following ways:

Parents may contact schools directly to apply for a place for their children. Schools will take into account their school-based circumstances, such as the availability of school places, when considering the applications. Schools may also interview the applicant child and assess his / her suitable class level before making the admission arrangement. For information of individual schools, please visit “School Profiles” at the website of Committee on Home-School Co-operation, or via the “School Search” engine mentioned on EDB webpage. Parents may also access to relevant school information at the website of International Schools in Hong Kong.
EDB provides school placement support services for all children aged 6 to 15 who are eligible to enrol in public sector schools. The application methods are as follows:
1. Parents should complete and return the business reply / online form to the Placement and Support (PS) Section of EDB. The PS Section will contact the parents upon receipt of the business reply / online form to provide school placement assistance for their children. The business replies are available at the Airport, Lo Wu Control Point, the Regional Education Offices of EDB and 20 Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department; or
2. Parents may approach the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB to seek placement assistance. For further information, please refer to Question 1 under “Others” or contact the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB.
If parents wish to apply for placement of their children aged 6 or above with special educational needs in aided special schools, they may download the Application Form for Special School Admission (Newly-arrived Children) from the “SENSE” website of EDB, and return the completed form to the special education services centre.

In addition, parents may obtain the booklet “Your Guide to Services in Hong Kong” at the airport upon arrival or from the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres, Labour Department and other community organisations. Chapter 16 of the booklet gives a brief introduction to the education service in Hong Kong, with the enquiry telephone numbers and addresses of the Regional Education Offices and PS Section of EDB as well as other related departments. This booklet is written in seven languages, namely English, Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai and Urdu.

My child will soon complete the secondary education in the place of origin. Can he / she enter the local Secondary Six (S6) classes directly? If he / she wants to sit for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, what are the entry requirements of this examination?

Under the existing academic structure, all students will have the opportunity to study up to Secondary 6. After completing six years secondary curriculum, students may attend the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) for admission to university. For further details of the qualification of the HKDSE, please visit the website of Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.

D. Medium of Instruction

Which schools in Hong Kong adopt English as the medium of instruction?

In Hong Kong, English language is taught as a major subject in both primary and secondary schools. Most government and aided primary schools adopt mother tongue as the medium of instruction (MOI) in the teaching of subjects other than the subject of English Language. Whereas in secondary schools, under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements implemented from Secondary 1 since the 2010/11 school year, schools are allowed the flexibility to adopt school-based MOI arrangements with regard to their individual school circumstances. Secondary schools’ MOI arrangements have become diversified with appropriate teaching strategies devised to address student’s learning needs. Some international schools and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools adopt English as the medium of instruction for most subjects.

Apart from international schools, what other schools in Hong Kong admit non-Chinese speaking children?

Most of the schools in Hong Kong adopt Chinese as the medium of instruction for most subjects. Therefore, admission of non-Chinese speaking children will be made on a case-by-case basis. All mainstream schools will admit non-Chinese speaking children. For enquiries, please contact the Regional Education Offices of EDB.

E. Others

Can the government offer a school place for my child near my residence?

Parents may contact schools directly to apply for a place for their children. Schools will take into account their school-based circumstances (such as the availability of school places) when considering the applications.

EDB provides school placement support services for all children aged 6 to 15 who are eligible to enrol in public sector schools. Parents may approach the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB to seek placement assistance. For placement to primary schools, our staff at the Regional Education Offices of EDB will make placement arrangement based on the district of residence of the applicants and vacancies of schools. For placement to secondary schools, certain flexibility can be exercised and "cross-district" arrangement will be considered. Our staff at the Regional Education Offices of EDB will make placement arrangement in accordance with the residential district of the applicants and the availability of school places as far as possible.

Parents should bring along their children’s identity documents, proof of attained academic qualifications and proof of residential address¹ (both originals and photocopies) to register with the nearby Regional Education Offices of EDB. For cases concerning newly-arrived children, parents should also bring along their children for registration.

Footnote:
1. Proof of residential address that the Regional Education Offices of EDB accept includes, but not limited to, stamped tenancy agreement, demand note for rates, public housing tenancy agreement or water / electricity / town gas / residential telephone bills. The proof of residential address should bear the name of the parent / guardian, the issuing date and the name of issuing organisation. If parents / guardians cannot provide the above acceptable proof of residential address, EDB may request parents / guardians to make sworn declaration at the respective Regional Education Offices or provide supplementary documents as further proof of the child’s residential address.

My child has got very good academic results and I hope to find some schools specialized in nurturing gifted students for him / her. Does Hong Kong have such kind of schools? Are there any services for grooming gifted students?

The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (the Academy), a subvented organisation of EDB, provides off-school gifted education programmes and training to gifted students aged 10 to 18. With an aim to groom gifted students, the Academy offers gifted students enrichment and advanced learning programmes in different areas (including innovation and technology education, humanities, languages, sports and arts, etc.), as well as competition-related training. Please visit the website of the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education for more information about its nomination mechanism, programmes and training offered. For enquiries, please contact the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education at tel: 3940 0501.

How can parents or the public search for information of individual schools?

Parents or the public can access the information of schools by visiting the Regional Education Offices of EDB. The school information has also been uploaded to “School Profiles” at the website of Committee on Home-School Co-operation.

If some families have financial difficulties and are unable to pay the kindergarten fees, what can they do?

The Kindergarten Education Scheme has been implemented since the 2017/18 school year by EDB to provide good quality and highly affordable kindergarten (KG) education, and enhance the accessibility of students to different modes of services that suit their specific needs. Families with financial needs can apply for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS) and the Grant for School-related Expenses administered by the Student Finance Office (SFO) under the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (WFSFAA) to defray expenses related to KG education. Starting from the 2022/23 school year, EDB has enhanced KCFRS so that parents receiving full level of fee remission do not need to pay any difference in school fees. Eligible student-applicants must be Hong Kong residents who are studying in non-profit-making KGs, offering local curriculum under the Kindergarten Education Scheme. They should also have reached the age of 2 years and 8 months at the time when they are enrolled in the kindergarten. Parents who wish to apply for KCFRS for their children can obtain application forms from the KGs in which their children are studying or the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department, and return their completed application forms together with relevant supporting documents to SFO. They may also visit SFO’s website to complete and submit the E-Form online. Besides, applicants must submit a completed School Certificate (SC) to the KGs concerned for handling and onward submission to SFO. Families currently in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) should apply direct to the Social Welfare Department for school-related assistance for their children. For details, please call 24-hour hotline of SFO at tel: 2802 2345.

The financial burden of purchasing textbooks and travel expenses can be very heavy to some families. Will the Government provide any financial assistance to needy families?

Needy families can apply for assistances under the School Textbook Assistance Scheme and the Student Travel Subsidy Scheme. Eligible student-applicants must be Hong Kong residents. Parents who wish to apply for the assistances for their children may obtain application forms from the schools in which their children are studying or the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department. They may also visit SFO’s website to complete and submit the E-Form online. For details, please call 24-hour hotline of SFO at tel: 2802 2345.