Admission into a prestigious school is the dream of many parents in Hong Kong. To reach their full potential, the path from kindergarten to primary school and then onto university must be laid out very early on, ideally by going through the top academic institutions along the way. However, due to the fierce competition for entry into the top schools, it is not an easy feat to achieve this goal; there are various preparations involved if parents want their child to study at the school of their choice. This time we are honored to have senior education columnist Mr. Chiu Wing Tak, better known as “Chiu Sir”, to share some of his best tips and tricks for getting admission into the top schools, and let every parent make the best preparation for their children to get into the school of their choice successfully.

What is an elite school? There are many anecdotal opinions each with their own set of standards, but “Chiu Sir” believes that the elite schools of Hong Kong can be divided into two types, traditional and regional. He points out that there are 22 traditional elite secondary schools in Hong Kong, formerly belonging to subsidy based Grant Schools, all founded by Christian or Catholic churches. They have long histories extending back to the monks and priests that established them with the intention of cultivating talent for the benefit of society in Hong Kong, hence they are known as the traditional elite schools. With the exception of Kowloon Wah Yan College and St. Mark's School, all traditional elite secondary schools have a feeder primary school. The primary and secondary schools are operated by the same administration, with up to 85% of secondary school places allocated for the top and second ranked primary school groups. For example, La Salle , Wah Yan , Heep Yunn and others operate under the feeder primary and secondary school system, so if parents wish their children to transition into a traditional elite secondary school then they will need to line up entry into the feeder primary school. Regional elite schools are chosen from the 18 districts of Hong Kong with the most outstanding student achievements, and can be linked to band1 schools, for example Kowloon Tong Government Primary School , Kowloon Tong Primary School Alliance , Baptist (STW) Lui Ming Choi Primary School, etc.

  Having locked in a target, how do you know if your children are suitable for these elite schools? Chiu Sir says: "Active personality, self-confidence, good grades, good character, participation in many activities such as the student union , possession of balanced moral, intellectual, physical, social and artistic qualities, sense of belonging in the school.  Students with these attributes are the most highly sought after by the elite schools."

  January 18 -19 is Primary One Admission nomination date, and no doubt many parents are also worried about how to fill out the form to nominate for the school. “The Hong Kong Education Bureau aims to establish an open, fair and just system in an unified allocation system for primary school placement, but there are large issues with this approach because a “lottery” system very often creates problems in the mismatch of students with schools. Therefore Chiu Sir advises parents to not only apply for government and subsidized school, but also apply to DSS and private primary school for peace of mind.

  Since private and DSS primary admission require an interview, how should parents prepare? Chiu Sir said that the Bureau previously released the applicant (interview) guidelines to all primary schools for compliance with the requirements, so parents should read the guidelines first to understand the format of the school interview including possible questions, and then they will know how to prepare for the interview together with their children.  Chiu Sir added: " Many schools also attach importance to athletic performance , such as La Salle Primary School’s emphasis on swimming, badminton, table tennis, basketball, etc., so if your children excel in these areas or have won awards they will gain bonus marks ! "

  Regardless of whether the Primary One Admission allocation results were satisfactory, parents can still knock on the front door of their favored primary school. Are there any methods and techniques? Chiu Sir believes there are three key tips: 

1.      Persistence and patience – knocking on the door is not about trying to win a scholarship, but to seek an opportunity to meet with the principal through the sincerity of the request.

2.      Put it in writing – due to the busy schedule of principals, parent can use written letters or electronic email to request a short appointment.

3.      Play the favor card – get an introduction from people that the principal respect, they might be the chairman of the school’s alumni committee, chairman of the parent teacher association, pastors, monks, etc., basically the principal has to feel obliged to save face for the person making the introduction, then the chance for the parents to meet in person increases dramatically.

Recently some news reports of fraud schemes targeting parents who are desperate to send their children to the top primary schools have surfaced.  Chiu Sir points out that parents avoid resorting to donating to secure placement will do so in vain because the schools will not accept students for financial gains.

Finally, Chiu Sir’s message to all parents regarding the admission of their children is to have reasonable expectations, and to understand that there is a place for every child. If you miss out on the favorite school through central allocation, there are private and DSS primary schools to choose from. Parents should find out about other schools and realize that apart from their favored schools, there are also other fine schools suitable for their children. Parents also should not transfer the pressure of admission onto their children, and show “positive acceptance” of the allocation results. If the parents are dissatisfied with the result they can also take time to find other options or find a way to transfer schools, but they must not let their children bear the emotional distress of school enrolment.

* "Twenty nine primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong with a focus on athletic performance", although not an exhaustive list of all schools, I believe it serves as a valuable reference.

Special interview with Vice chairman of Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, former deputy principal of La Salle College and a Senior Education Columnist Chiu Wing Tak ( Chiu Sir)