Hong Kong primary school facing axe hits back at education authorities over focus on student enrolment numbers
- Principal of Confucian Tai Shing Primary School says 60-year-old institution could turn into non-profit private campus as last resort
- School one of five facing axe after failing to enrol minimum of 16 pupils to open Primary One class
A Hong Kong primary school facing the axe over a shortfall in new students has hit back at education authorities for focusing on minimum enrolment figures, accusing them of failing to consider the quality of teaching on offer.
Debe Yuen Poon Suk-han, principal of Confucian Tai Shing Primary School in Wong Tai Sin, on Monday also revealed last-resort plans for the 60-year-old institution to stay afloat by turning it into a non-profit private school.
The school is one of five local institutions that will not receive government grants to run Primary One classes in the next academic year after failing to secure at least 16 pupils, which is required to open a class.
“We appreciate that Hong Kong has a low birth rate and experienced a fall in its student population,” she said.
“But if the Education Bureau only cares about the number of pupils recruited or sent through the central allocation system, without taking into account the efforts a school has made, the academic performances of its students and their progress, such a way to implement a policy has much room for debate.”
The principal said the school had no plans to close and was prepared to privately fund a Primary One class for the next term with sponsoring body the Confucian Academy to pay all fees for students who had already signed up for six years of education there.
