A record 86% of children in Hong Kong secured preferred primary school spots as applications fell 16%. Despite this, competition for discretionary places is expected to remain intense.

Around 86 per cent of children seeking places in Hong Kong’s public primary schools have secured one of their top three choices through the central allocation system, a record high and up from about 79 per cent last year, as applicant numbers fell 16 per cent to 16,345, the steepest decline on record. But a representative from a primary school council said the competition for discretionary places – commonly known as “door-knocking” – is unlikely to ease, as some parents whose children were...