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The population policy of a city or a country is highly relevant to its future planning. It is easy to understand the importance of accurate population management to a city's development.

A few years ago, the enrolment of kindergarten students in the North District were unprecedentedly overcrowded. This noticeable phenomenon, however, did not induce the Education Bureau to do anything about education planning. Two years ago, I had an expedition trip to the Chinese mainland. When I passed by the Lok Ma Chau control point early at 6 am, the lobby was already packed with little kindergarten kids lining up quietly, waiting for their teachers to lead them across the border and go to school. At that time, the influx of cross-border children was too significant for the government to ignore, and there was an urgent need to handle the school-placing problem.

Young kids stay in a kindergarten for three years before attending primary school to pursue another six years of primary education. Practically, there should be sufficient time for the relevant authority to make necessary changes on its education plans. The shortage of school places in North District has often been discussed in society. Many stakeholders are very concerned about the issue amid the negligence of the relevant authority.

Some education organizations have made suggestions. First, re-opening the primary schools that have been 'killed' due to the decrease of the student population; this can make good use of the vacant schools and allow the original sponsor parties to invest in primary education. Other educational parties may also apply as the bidding unit. To encourage diversity learning, the government may provide funding to the project in the first term of six years with ongoing observations and reviews, to prepare for the second six-year.

Second, invite the existing primary schools in North District to provide five additional seats in each class with a corresponding government grant. The increased seats can help to solve the shortage of school places in primary education in the short-term. Evaluation can be done after the first term of six years.

Third, in the past, the reduction of classes in North District secondary schools created more space on the campus. The government may consider admitting more Primary One students and invite schools to use the vacant space in those secondary schools for primary education. Similarly, evaluation will be done after six years.

Regardless of whether government proceeds with the education organizations' suggestions, or with their own strategic plans, it is essential that quick action be taken. Furthermore, details of the government's decision should be announced publicly well in advance, along with thorough explanations, so as to comfort the related parties, and to soothe the current tension in the society.

However, from the educational point of view, the bureau hastily declared the "North District Primary One Admission System", which allows schools to set up a maximum of three Primary One classes; Primary schools in the North District are now asked to increase Primary One class sizes to accommodate a maximum of 33 students. The extra places created in the North District allow students who have been allocated to schools outside the North District to return to the schools in their area under the "Return Mechanism". Such mechanism enables students in the North District to study nearer their homes, but they must first forfeit the Tai Po places in order to be reallocated. However, parents' school preferences would not be considered.

Strangely, there is always a huge difference between the collective wisdom of the society and the government's policies. It is difficult to understand why the government has obstinately relied on one education institute to establish three new classes of Primary One irrespective of the negative influence on the North District admission status. Furthermore, the newly implemented "Return Mechanism" is a destructive policy to the existing one-off Primary One admission system.

The author is vice-chairman of Education Convergence.

(HK Edition 06/28/2013 page9)