The Education & Manpower Bureau has allocated five school premises to school sponsoring bodies. The schools will be ready between 2004 and 2007.

They are two Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary schools, two aided secondary schools and a kindergarten in Sai Kung, Wong Chuk Hang, Sham Shui Po, Tin Shui Wai and Kowloon City.

The bureau's School Allocation Committee received 64 applications in this year's School Allocation Exercise. Four secondary school premises are of 2000 standard design, each with 30 classrooms.

They will pair up with primary schools to implement the 'through-train' mode of operation, bringing to 32 the number of school pairs planned through the yearly allocation exercise.

The exercise is conducted by a 10-member committee comprising an equal number of Government officials and others familiar with Hong Kong's education system.

In the selection process, the committee has taken into account the proposed school plans and, where appropriate, the past performance record of the applicant bodies in running schools.