OFNAA Celebrates Winners of Healthy Student Competitions Promoting Safe Internet Use and Obscene Material Awareness.

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works

The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) held a prize presentation ceremony today (July 5) for the "Healthy Student Video Contest 2025", the "'Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance' Slogan and Colouring Competition 2024-25" and the "Healthy Mobile App Sticker Design Competition" in commendation of the winning students and teams for assisting in promoting the message of staying away from obscene and indecent articles online through creative works.

A total of around 20 000 primary and secondary students participated in the three competitions which offered 60 major awards altogether. The adjudication panel comprised OFNAA representatives and industry professionals. Winners from 25 primary schools and 20 secondary schools (the list is set out in Annex) will have their works uploaded to OFNAA's website for public viewing.

Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Assistant Director of Film, Newspaper and Article Administration, Mr Chris Fung, said that with the prevalence of various video streaming or video sharing platforms and social media in recent years given rise by the fascinating cyber world, children and young people may be exposed to obscene and indecent materials as well as distorted values while using the Internet, affecting their physical and mental wellbeing. Sharing of harmful materials on the Internet, or even producing and uploading such content on the Internet, may be in breach of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (Cap. 390) (COIAO). To protect children and young people from the influence of obscene and indecent materials online, OFNAA has been adopting a multi-pronged approach by enhancing publicity and public education in tandem with proper regulation, so as to enhance the understanding of the public, especially children and young people, of the COIAO and to encourage them to stay away from harmful materials and to develop the concept of the proper use of the Internet.

OFNAA has continued to enhance its publicity and education efforts over the past year. In addition to organising the abovementioned competitions, OFNAA arranged nearly 100 roving drama performances for schools in this academic year, attracting nearly 15 000 primary and secondary students. Roving exhibitions were also held in Lam Tin, Lok Fu, Tin Shui Wai and Tseung Kwan O to promote more widely the message of healthy Internet use, attracting over 12 000 visitors.

OFNAA will continue to take forward these efforts and organise various activities including the "Healthy Information Student Ambassadors Scheme", the "Healthy Chinese Public Speaking Competition" and the "Healthy Student Drama Contest" to further enhance the public's understanding of the COIAO and promote the concept of healthy Internet use.

In addition, OFNAA has strengthened inter-departmental and inter-organisational collaboration to organise diverse and targeted activities for different stakeholders, including children and young people, parents, teaching staff members and the public. These included working with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau to promote activities and information concerning the COIAO to children and young people through various channels and platforms including the Family Council, the "HKYouth+" youth mobile application, and the Government Youth Portal (Youth.gov.hk), as well as partnering with the Hong Kong Police Force to organise "Wise Use of Internet" talks at various districts to share common online pitfalls with members of the Junior Police Call and students in an interesting and interactive manner, with a view to helping them develop proper values and deepening their understanding of the COIAO.

OFNNA also organised various activities to help teaching staff members strengthen their relevant work in schools, including organising more than 250 school talks and three online briefing sessions for about 100 principals of primary and secondary schools or their representatives in 2024, as well as taking part in the seminars of professional development programme for teachers organised by the Education Bureau this year to introduce the COIAO and relevant activities and resources to over 200 primary school teachers. Additionally, OFNAA organises various activities for parents including talks, workshops, and webinars from time to time, working jointly with parents and schools to help children and young people establish proper values and strengthen their ability to reject harmful materials.

OFNAA will continue to take forward diverse publicity and public education work and work with various stakeholders to enhance public awareness of the COIAO and promote the message of staying away from obscene and indecent content online.

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

OFNAA commends primary and secondary students for assisting in promoting healthy Internet use through creative works Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB reminds parents to choose primary schools under Central Allocation process for their children

The Education Bureau (EDB) today (January 12) reminded parents that children who have joined the Primary One Admission (POA) System for 2026 but have not yet secured a discretionary place can take part in the Central Allocation process for a Primary One (P1) place in a government or aided primary school. Parents concerned should make their choice of schools within the period from January 19 to 25.

Digitalisation of POA

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In line with the Smart Government strategy, the EDB has fully implemented digitalisation of the POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-Platform (ePOA) users and have bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may submit the Choice of Schools Form for Central Allocation from January 19 to 25 through the ePOA. Please refer to the related videos and Parent's Guide on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for activating and logging into an ePOA account and for making school choices for the Central Allocation of POA via the e-Platform.

Making school choices at Central Allocation Centres

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The EDB will send letters to parents on January 14 inviting them to make their choice of schools. To cater for the needs of different parents, parents can still submit the Choice of Schools Form in paper form by visiting the designated Central Allocation Centre at the suggested time slot (i.e. 9.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 24 (Saturday) or 9.30am to 12.30pm on January 25 (Sunday)) stated in the letter.

Parents who are ePOA users may choose to submit the Central Allocation Application via the ePOA or in paper form to the Central Allocation Centre but should not submit duplicate applications. Parents who have not yet received the letter by January 19 should call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB (Hotline: 2832 7700) as soon as possible.

Only one parent of an applicant child is required to complete the school choice-making procedures. Parents are advised not to take their children to the Central Allocation Centre if possible. Parents who cannot make school choices within the suggested time slot can go to the designated Central Allocation Centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 25. The Choice of Schools Form will be sent together with the letter to parents who have submitted a paper Application Form at the Discretionary Places stage for filling out in advance.

In the event of adverse weather or other special conditions on any day during the period of making school choices, please pay heed to radio or television announcements on the relevant special arrangements.

Unable to submit application within specified choice-making period

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For individual parents who are unable to use the ePOA or go to the Central Allocation Centre to make school choices, they can authorise in writing a representative to bring the completed Choice of Schools Form and their signed Letter of Authorisation to the Central Allocation Centre to proceed with the related procedures.

To apply for POA 2026 for their children after January 25, parents need to complete necessary procedures with the School Places Allocation Section, which will separately arrange P1 places for the applicant children in June.

Change of residential address

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An EDB spokesman reminded parents that, if they have recently moved their residence or have such plans in the near future, they are required to inform the School Places Allocation Section as soon as possible so that they can make school choices in the POA School Net where their new home is located. Parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If they provide a false address for securing a P1 place, the POA application of their child will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.

The EDB has put in place a monitoring mechanism to verify the residential addresses of applicant children as given by the parents. Random checks have also been stepped up. The public may call the School Places Allocation Section to report suspected cases of using a false address by parents for their children's POA application. The EDB will take action against false address cases.

Mechanism of Central Allocation

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Central Allocation is composed of two parts. Part A, which takes up 10 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation, is for unrestricted school choices. Parents can choose up to three government or aided primary schools in any school net. Part B takes up the remaining 90 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation. Parents of applicant children residing in the school net concerned are to select schools from the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2026)" of their school net, while parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong are to select schools from the "2026 Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (For Applicant Children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong)". Parents should fill in the Choice of Schools Form in the order of their preference.

The mechanism of the Central Allocation is based on parents' choices in general. The computer-programmed allocation will first process the school choices in Part A and then the school choices in Part B. For oversubscribed schools, the order of priority in allocating places will be determined by random numbers generated by the computer for individual applicants to ensure fairness.

For information about the procedures for Central Allocation, please call the EDB's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088.

Release of Central Allocation results

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For parents who have already activated their ePOA account via "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+", they will receive their Central Allocation results through the ePOA from 10am on June 3. Parents who wish to receive the allocation results via SMS on June 3 may choose such an option in the Choice of Schools Form. In addition, the allocation results will be sent to parents by post on June 3 and 4.

Source: AI-found images