Prestigious School Districts: A Parent's Guide
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Residing within a school district may increase the chance of children attending prestigious schools
Most local primary schools admit students through the "Primary One Admission System", which is divided into two stages: "Discretionary Places Admission" and "Central Allocation". If a student is not admitted to a school during the "Discretionary Places Admission" stage, they must participate in the "Central Allocation".
During the "Central Allocation" stage, parents are required to fill out the "School Choice Form". Among them, in Part B, they must list the schools within the school district of their residential address. If parents live within the school district of their preferred school, it will increase their advantage in this part; if the school has a affiliated secondary school, their children will have a better chance to "seamlessly" advance to it in the future.
Unified Allocation School Districts 4 Popular Areas
The school districts for unified allocation are divided by two-digit numbers. The traditional primary school elite districts are 11, 12, 34, and 41, known as the "Four Major School Districts". 11 is located in the Central and Western District, 12 in Wan Chai District, and 34 and 41 in the Kowloon City District.
| School District | Coverage Area |
|---|---|
| 11 | Central, The Peak, Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Kennedy Town |
| 12 | Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, So Kon Po, Happy Valley, Tai Hang, Jardine's Lookout |
| 34 | Ho Man Tin, Kadoorie Hill, To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Kok, Ma Tau Wai, Kai Tak |
| 41 | Kowloon Tong, Beacon Hill, Broadcast Drive, Kowloon City, Mei Tung Estate in Wong Tai Sin District |
| School District | Some Traditional Elite Schools |
|---|---|
| 11 | King's College Old Boys' Primary School, Sacred Heart Canossian School, St. Stephen's Girls' College Primary School |
| 12 | Hennessy Road Government Primary School, Marymount Primary School, St. Joseph's Primary School, St. James' Primary School |
| 34 | St. Paul's Church Primary School, Hop Yat Church School, Ma Tau Chung Government Primary School |
| 41 | Kei Wa Primary School (Kowloon Tong), Kowloon Tong Catholic Primary School, La Salle Primary School |
Property Prices in Prestigious School Districts: Wan Chai is Higher
If a family of three wishes to move into a prestigious school district, aiming for a second-hand small to medium-sized private residential unit of approximately 500 to 600 square feet with 2 bedrooms, what options does this family have? We have compared the most expensive and the cheapest units from the transactions in the past year in the four major school districts.
| Units in Four Major School Districts (Most Expensive) | School District | Usable Area | Building Age | Transaction Price | Average Price per Square Foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wan Chai Happy Valley Phase 2 Block 1 6th Floor Unit G | 12 | 552 sq ft | 10 | HK$13.83 million | HK$25,046 |
| Kai Tak OASIS KAI TAK Block 3 23rd Floor Unit B | 34 | 549 sq ft | 7 | HK$11.88 million | HK$21,639 |
| Sheung Wan The Sailors' Home 12th Floor Unit F | 14 | 488 sq ft | 9 | HK$9.7 million | HK$19,893 |
| Kowloon Tong Po Nga Court Phase 1 G/F Unit G | 51 | 587 sq ft | 46 | HK$7.65 million | HK$13,032 |
| Four Major School Network Units (Cheapest) | School Network Area | Usable Area | Building Age | Transaction Price | Average Price per Square Foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear Unit 406B, 9/F, Tak Fu Building, Shek Tong Tsui | 11 | 474 sq.ft. | 63 | HK$3.72 million | HK$7,848 |
| Flat E, 12/F, Hung Yip Building, Wan Chai | 12 | 397 sq.ft. | 59 | HK$3.53 million | HK$8,892 |
| Flat A, 4/F, Sing Fai Building, Kowloon City | 41 | 582 sq.ft. | 55 | HK$5 million | HK$10,309 |
| Flat H, 10/F, Tam Kung Building, To Kwa Wan | 34 | 427 sq.ft. | 57 | HK$3 million | HK$7,025 |
Source: Centaline Property (As of 3/5/2025)
After comparison, it can be found that the price of the units is closely related to the location and age of the building. The more superior the geographical environment and the newer the building age, the higher the transaction price.
Among the expensive units, The Luna 2 in Lee Tung Street (Wedding Card Street), located in the scenic area of Wan Chai with convenient transportation and being a new building, has the highest transaction price in the four major school networks in the past 30 days, with a 522 sq.ft. unit sold for HK$13.83 million, averaging HK$25,046 per square foot.
The units at OASIS KAI TAK in Kai Tak, despite having a smaller usable area compared to those at The Robinson in Sheung Wan, command higher transaction prices due to their mere 7-year age and proximity to the Kai Tak MTR station, surpassing those in the Central and Western District. Po Ngo Kok on Broadcast Drive, lacking clubhouse facilities and aged 46 years, is considered an old building, thus recording the lowest transaction prices among high-end properties.
Among the four major school networks, the units with the lowest transaction prices are all over 50 years old.
Hong Kong Property Prices Drop 27% Over 3 Years, Yet to Hit Bottom
Local property prices have been declining for three consecutive years since 2022, with a cumulative drop of up to 27.38%. Compared to 2021, all transactions recorded a decrease, with a high-floor unit of 442 square feet in Wan Chai's Happy Valley recording a 16.5% drop over the three years. Reviewing the property price index, the Centa-City Leading Index (CCL) dropped from a high of 190 in 2021 to 137.2 in February 2025, with both viewings and transactions in the top ten housing estates declining, reflecting the sluggish second-hand property market. Although the current market downturn may attract buyers compared to past prices, some analysts believe that the current low prices have not yet bottomed out, and Hong Kong property prices still have room to fall.
This article is provided by MoneySmart.Original link
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