Hong Kong principals slam popular schools' class expansion without consultation
Principals in Hong Kong have criticised education authorities for failing to consult the sector regarding a new measure that permits popular schools to apply to operate an additional Form One class in the next academic year, raising concerns that the move will intensify competition among institutions.
The Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools also questioned the timeliness and necessity of implementing the policy change amid the city's declining student population.
The Education Bureau briefed representatives from secondary schools at a meeting on May 20 about new class-size regulations, which are expected to jeopardise the survival of disadvantaged schools.
The new regulations have increased the minimum number of students required for operating a class, while also permitting schools with four Form One classes to apply to run an additional class in the coming academic year.
A maximum of five school applications will be approved.
'There is no consultation at all with such an important policy change,' Lin Chun-pong, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, told the Post last Thursday.
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