The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (March 20) that in the First School Allocation Exercise (SAE) 2024, two vacant school premises in Sha Tin District are open for application by eligible school sponsoring bodies (SSBs) in Hong Kong for reprovisioning existing aided or Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary schools, with a view to improving the learning and teaching environment. The application deadline is 5pm on May 22.
      
     The two vacant school premises are the former Hong Kong and Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Ma Chung Sum Secondary School at Pok Hong Estate and the former Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School at Sun Chui Estate. Details of the premises are set out in the Annex.
      
     An EDB spokesman said, "Infrastructure improvements to existing schools built to previous planning standards and designs may be infeasible due to the lack of space or other physical constraints. Existing aided or DSS primary schools in need of infrastructure upgrade may apply for the vacant school premises mentioned above for reprovisioning, regardless of districts. Nevertheless, priority will be accorded to applicant schools from Sha Tin District if their overall performance is comparable to that of applicant schools from other districts."
      
     "In light of the continuous decline in school-age population, the EDB, when planning for the supply of school places, will adjust the number of schools in a gradual and orderly manner with an aim of 'soft landing' to ensure education quality and optimal use of public resources. As such, this SAE is only open to applications for school reprovisioning," the spokesman continued.
      
     The SAE is conducted on a competitive basis among SSBs. The School Allocation Committee, which comprises official and non-official members, will assess the applications and make recommendations on allocation of school premises. The assessment will take into consideration factors including the school plan submitted by the SSB, the operation track record of the SSB and the school proposed to be reprovisioned, the demand and supply situation of school places in the district in which the school falls within and the physical condition of the school's existing premises, with quality of education as the prime consideration. In general, applications from schools with a site area smaller than 3 000 square metres and premises older than 30 years, which have not benefited or have only marginally benefited from the School Improvement Programme, will be given priority consideration if their overall performance is comparable to that of other applicants.
      
     In line with the established arrangement for reprovisioning, the successful SSB must, upon the school's moving to the new premises, return its existing school premises to the Government. If the school premises are located on a private lot under the ownership of the SSB, the school or a third party related to the SSB/school, the land owner must surrender the site concerned together with the existing school premises to the Government upon the school's moving to the new premises. The EDB will not hand over the new premises to the SSB until the SSB or the land owner activates the aforesaid procedures.
      
     Details of the First SAE 2024 and the application form are available on the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/sch-admin/sch-premises-info/allocation-of-sch/index.html).

Ends/Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Issued at HKT 11:00

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