Fifteen Hong Kong primary schools have been allocated no Primary One classes for the 2026-27 school year, with some schools needing to merge, according to i-CABLE News. The report did not identify the schools or say where they are located.
Education Secretary Christine Choi Yu-lin said the decline in the school-age population was a structural issue rather than a short-term fluctuation. She said the Education Bureau would continue helping schools adjust their class numbers and enrolment in an orderly way.
Choi described the approach as a “soft landing”, aimed at allowing schools to make gradual adjustments. The measures include mergers and other forms of support, although the reports did not set out the full list or a timetable.
Choi said some schools had already combined resources through mergers. i-CABLE News quoted her as saying that mergers could also strengthen teaching teams and provide pupils with a better learning environment.
Choi made the remarks on September 1, the first day of the school year, during a visit to Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Chuen School. She said some schools had received no Primary One classes last year, while many of the relevant schools had since used mergers to integrate resources.
The reports did not say how many of the 15 schools have merged or are expected to merge. The names and locations of the schools, as well as the details and implementation timetable for the other measures, also remain unclear.