Primary schools joining the 2021-23 Secondary School Places Allocation System (SSPA) will receive application forms for Secondary 1 discretionary places (DPs) tomorrow for distribution to Primary 6 students’ parents, the Education Bureau announced today.

Meanwhile, parents of students not studying in participating schools can obtain the forms from the bureau’s School Places Allocation Section.

The schools to which parents apply for DPs are not restricted by districts. Parents wishing to apply for such places in government, aided and caput secondary schools as well as Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary schools for their children have to submit the applications to the schools concerned between January 3 and 17, 2023.

However, students who are successful in the DP application will not be allocated a school place through the central allocation, the bureau noted.

Separately, in line with the Smart Government strategy, the bureau will implement digitalisation of Secondary 1 admissions starting from 2023. Parents who have registered as SSPA e-Platform users and bound their account to iAM Smart+ may submit DP applications and check the results via the e-platform. Reference materials are available on the bureau’s website.

Alternatively, if the DP application is submitted by post, the schools will post the parent’s copy of the application form back to them for retention.

No matter whether the DP applications are filed in paper form or via the SSPA e-Platform, parents should not submit applications to more than two schools, or the applications will be rendered void.

In addition, if parents have already submitted a paper application form, they should not submit a duplicate application via the SSPA e-Platform, and vice versa.

If students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for DPs, their parents will receive notifications on March 31, 2023.

The allocation results of the DPs and the central allocation will be released at the same time on July 11, 2023, the bureau added.