Primary schools joining the 2025 cycle of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) can collect application forms for Secondary 1 discretionary places (DPs) from tomorrow for distribution to parents of Primary 6 students, the Education Bureau announced today.

These parents will each receive two paper application forms from their children's primary school, while 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 will have to submit applications to the schools concerned between January 2 and 16, 2025.

Parents who have registered as SSPA e-platform users and connected their account to iAM Smart+ can browse relevant information from tomorrow. They can also submit DP applications and check application results via the platform when the time comes.

The bureau stressed that parents should not disclose their order of preference to schools, and schools should not request disclosure of such information.

It also reminded parents that they should neither submit applications to more than two participating secondary schools, nor submit duplicate applications via the e-platform and in paper application form for the same student.

In addition, parents are advised to consider all aspects of the schools they apply to, such as educational philosophy, tradition, religious attachments, class structure, admission criteria, development and operation, to consider whether it is suitable for their child.

Parents may browse the relevant information in the latest Secondary School Profiles, which will be released by the Committee on Home-School Co-operation tomorrow, or on school websites. They can also obtain the Handbook for Application for Secondary One Discretionary Places from primary schools.

Students who are successful in the DP application will not be allocated a school place in central allocation.

If students are included by participating secondary schools on their Successful Lists for DPs, their parents will be notified on March 31, 2025 either via the e-platform or by the schools concerned.

The results of DP and the central allocation will be released simultaneously on July 8, 2025, the bureau added.