Application forms for Primary One Admission available from next Monday
A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said today (August 29) that all Hong Kong children born on or before December 31, 2019, are eligible to join the Primary One Admission (POA) System for admission to Primary One (P1) in September 2025, provided they have not attended any primary schools and have never been allocated a P1 place.
Digitalisation of POA
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In line with the Smart Government strategy, the EDB has fully digitalised POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-platform (ePOA) users and bound their accounts to "iAM Smart+" may submit applications and check the results for discretionary places and Central Allocation online via ePOA. The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible for more convenient and faster P1 school place allocation services.
Submission of applications for discretionary places
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At the Discretionary Places Admission stage, the school chosen is not restricted to the school net in which the child resides. Parents who wish to apply for a POA discretionary place in a government or aided primary school should submit an application via ePOA (epoa.edb.gov.hk) from September 19 to 27. Please refer to the related videos and Parent's Guide on the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for creating an ePOA account and submitting applications for discretionary places via ePOA.
If parents choose to submit paper application forms, they may obtain the Application Form for Admission to Primary One, Notes on How to Complete the Application Form for Admission to Primary One, POA information leaflet, etc, from their children's kindergartens or kindergarten-cum-child care centres, District Offices (Home Affairs Enquiry Centres), and the Regional Education Offices and School Places Allocation Section of the EDB from next Monday (September 2). They should submit the completed application form together with all supporting documents directly to the school during school office hours between September 23 and 27. Parents who are unable to submit the application form in person may authorise in writing a representative to bring along the above-mentioned documents to the school on their behalf.
The spokesman reminded that irrespective of whether the application is submitted via ePOA or in paper form, parents should submit only one application for their child. If parents have applied to more than one government or aided primary school, their application for a POA discretionary place would be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via ePOA and in paper form for the same child. Parents who wish to enrol their children in Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary schools or private primary schools (including international schools) should apply directly to those schools as they are not included in the POA System. Parents should also note that children who have accepted the offer of P1 places in DSS primary schools would not be allocated P1 places in government or aided primary schools through the POA System.
Application for Central Allocation only
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If parents are applying only for the POA Central Allocation, they should submit an application to the EDB via ePOA or in paper form on or before January 17, 2025. For submission of paper forms, they should return the completed application form and supporting documents to the School Places Allocation Section (Primary One Admission) of the EDB at Podium Floor, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong.
Residential address
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"When completing the POA Application Form, parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application would be rendered void and the P1 place allocated would be withdrawn. If a false instrument has been used or a false statutory declaration has been made in the application, the offender is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years or imprisonment for two years and to a fine respectively under the Crimes Ordinance. Suspected cases of using a false address for POA applications may be reported to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700," the EDB spokesman said.
Enquiries
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The information leaflet for POA 2025 is available on the EDB's website for parents' reference. Other details of POA and the discretionary places quota of each school will be available from next Monday (September 2) on the EDB's website and 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry System at 2891 0088.
Source: AI-generated images
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures
The Film Programmes Office (FPO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the Summer Family Cine Fest (SFCF) from July 12 to August 16, offering over 40 fun-filled film screenings at the Hong Kong Film Archive, Hong Kong City Hall, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum (HKSpM) and the North District Town Hall. The programme is one of the highlights of the International Arts Carnival (IAC).
The Feature Films section features 15 works. Blending animation and live action, "Diplodocus" (2024) tells the story of a cute little comic dinosaur, which, in order to save itself and its family, must help its creator regain his confidence to create. In the animated film "Into the Wonderwoods" (2024), while on the way to visit his grandmother, 10-year-old Angelo is accidentally left behind in the wild. With his imagination and courage, he embarks on a solo journey while braving monsters and demons in the forest.
In "Fox and Hare Save the Forest" (2024), a selfish beaver causes a flood in the forest, and other animals bravely come together to save their home. "Tummy Tom and the Lost Teddy Bear" (2024) follows a cat on an adventurous journey to find its favourite cuddle toy bear. In "Benjamin Bat" (2024), a little bat named Benjamin is bullied by his brothers for loving singing and becoming friends with a bat's sworn enemy, a bird. For himself and his friend, he needs to muster his courage to stand up against the odds. A cute penguin in "Thelma's Perfect Birthday" (2024) accidentally travels from the Land of Ice to the warm Great Forest and learns the meaning of growth through this whimsical journey.
"Buffalo Kids" (2024) from Spain tells the story of two young siblings and their disabled new friend teaming up to battle wits and strength against outlaws of the Wild West in a thrilling adventure of courage and inclusion. Starting from the parents of a young boy building a sailboat in their home garden, "A Boat in the Garden" (2024) tells a story of perseverance and dedication of a family of three in the pursuit of dreams.
The Swedish film "The Pinchers' High Voltage Heist" (2023) delivers a comedic portrayal of a quirky family of thieves and their hilarious lives together. In the award-winning "Coco Farm" (2023), three youngsters strive to build a business guided by conscience. In "Lampo, The Travelling Dog" (2023), a social media-famous dog and a sick girl cross paths at a train station, leading to a heartwarming tale of mutual care between human and canine. "Greetings from Mars" (2024) tells the story of how Tom turns his passion for space exploration into strength when his mother has to travel a long way away.
The SFCF also features three sports-themed films. "King Richard" (2021) depicts the parenting story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams' father and coach, who meticulously guided them to success. Lead actor Will Smith won Best Actor awards at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards for his performance. "Lioness" (2023) follows a South American migrant girl in the Netherlands pursuing her dream of becoming a football player in a strange land. "The Hill" (2023) delivers a passionate and inspiring true story of a baseball prodigy overcoming adversity despite suffering from a degenerative spinal condition.
In addition, the FPO will co-organise with the HKSpM to present the dome show, "The Great Solar System Adventure!" (2024), at the Space Theatre of the HKSpM. Audiences will be guided through an exhilarating journey across the solar system. After the screenings, audiences will be invited to join a post-screening activity at the HKSpM Lecture Hall to make Mars paper models and learn about the major discoveries of various Mars exploration missions. This activity will be conducted in Cantonese.
Veteran dubbing artists Yip Ka-man and Kinson Lai will perform live Cantonese dubbing for "Thelma's Perfect Birthday", "Benjamin Bat" and "Into the Wonderwoods" with no subtitles. "The Great Solar System Adventure!" is in Cantonese, with English available through the headphone system, with no subtitles. Other films will feature Chinese and English subtitles.
Apart from the feature films, the FPO has hand-picked 20 animated short films from around the world to present three World Animation & Shorts programmes, titled "All About Love", "Is That OK?" and "Craving For Food!". Professional actor and drama tutor Man Jai (Raymond Chan) will host an introduction in Cantonese for the programmes.
The FPO will also present a two-day event titled Summer of Light: Cinematic Adventure at Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre on July 12 and 13. The event consists of free activities and ticketed workshops for the public to participate. Details will be available in early June on the FPO website www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp.
Tickets are priced at $88 and will be available from tomorrow (May 16) at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=75.
For details of other IAC programmes, please visit the website www.hkiac.gov.hk.
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Summer Family Cine Fest to take families on fantastical cinematic adventures Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
