Primary One Admission (POA) System application forms will be available from September 1, the Education Bureau announced today.

Hong Kong children born on or before December 31, 2018, are eligible to join the system, except those who have attended primary schools and have been allocated a Primary 1 place.

The forms, explanatory notes and information leaflets are available at kindergartens, district offices and the bureau’s Regional Education Offices and School Places Allocation Section.

Alternatively, as the bureau has fully digitalised the POA starting this year, parents who have registered as POA e-platform users and bound their account to iAM Smart+ may submit applications and check the results for discretionary places and central allocation online via the POA e-platform.

At the discretionary places admission stage, parents can choose schools without being restricted to the school net in which the child resides. The completed application form should be handed in directly to a government or aided primary school of the parents’ choice between September 21 and 29. Click here for the parent’s guide.

For an application in paper form, parents should file the submission directly to the school during school office hours between September 25 and 29.

The bureau noted that only one application should be submitted for each child. If parents are found to have applied to more than one government or aided primary school, their application will be rendered void.

Separately, if parents only apply for the POA Central Allocation, they should hand in the completed forms from September 26, 2023, to February 3, 2024, to the bureau’s School Places Allocation Section at Office 2, 2/F Manulife Financial Centre, Kwun Tong.

However, since this office will be relocated to Podium Floor, West Block, Education Bureau, Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre on Suffolk Road in Kowloon Tong in the fourth quarter this year, parents are advised to check the bureau’s website in due course.

From September 1, people can call 2891 0088 or click here for more information.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Home-School Co-operation will upload the Primary School Profiles 2023 e-version in Chinese and English to its website tomorrow to help parents choose schools for their children.