e-Bulletin for Parents - 29 August 2024

Notes on Submission of Primary One Admission Application Form

All Hong Kong children born on or before December 31, 2019, are eligible to join the Primary One Admission (POA) System for admission to Primary One (P1) in September 2025 provided they have not attended any primary schools and have never been allocated a P1 place.

In line with the Smart Government strategy, the Education Bureau (EDB) has fully digitalised POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-platform (ePOA) users and bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may submit applications and view the results for discretionary places admission and Central Allocation online via ePOA. The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" (https://www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible for more convenient and faster P1 school place allocation services.

Parents who wish to apply for a POA discretionary place in a government or aided primary school at the Discretionary Places Admission stage under the POA System should submit an application via ePOA (https://epoa.edb.gov.hk) from September 19 to 27, 2024. If parents choose to submit paper application forms, they should submit the completed application form together with all supporting documents directly to the school they intend to apply to during school office hours between September 23 and 27, 2024.

When parents complete and submit the POA Application Form, please note the following-
(1) At the Discretionary Places Admission stage, the school chosen is not restricted to the school net in which the child resides.
(2) Irrespective of whether the application is submitted via ePOA or in paper form, parents should submit only one application for their child. If parents have applied to more than one government or aided primary school, their application for a POA discretionary place would be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via ePOA and in paper form for the same child.
(3) When completing the POA Application Form, parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn. If a false instrument has been used or a false statutory declaration has been made in the application, the offender is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years or imprisonment for two years and to a fine respectively under the Crimes Ordinance.
(4) Parents who are unable to submit the application form in person may authorise in writing a representative to bring along the supporting documents to the school on their behalf.
(5) Children who have accepted the offer of P1 places in Direct Subsidy Scheme primary schools will not be allocated P1 places in government or aided primary schools through the POA System. If he / she was allocated a school place through POA, his / her P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.
(6) Parents could view results for discretionary place admission via ePOA from 10 a.m. of November 18, 2024. All schools will also release the discretionary places admission results on the same day. For applicant children who are not allocated with discretionary places, they would join the Central Allocation. The Schools Choice making dates for Central Allocation will be from January 13 to 19, 2025. Details will be announced later.

If parents are applying only for POA Central Allocation, they should submit application to the EDB via ePOA or in paper form on or before January 17, 2025. For submission of paper form, they should return the completed application form and supporting documents to the School Places Allocation Section (Primary One Admission) of the EDB at Podium Floor, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong.

For details regarding POA 2025, parents may refer to the EDB’s POA Website starting from September 2, 2024 (https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/index.html). If parents have any enquiries, please contact the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB:

Enquiries

Telephone Number

General Enquiries

2832 7700 / 2832 7740

HK Island & Island

2832 7610

Kowloon

2832 7620

New Territories West

2832 7635

New Territories East

2832 7659

In addition, suspected cases of using a false address for POA applications may be reported to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700.

iAM Smart

ePOA

POA website