Government announces appointment of Principal Official
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, announced today (March 30) that in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Basic Law, the Central People's Government, upon his nomination and recommendation, has approved the appointment of Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa as the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.
Mr Lee said, "Miss Tse is a seasoned, retired Administrative Officer who served the Government for over 37 years with distinguished performance. She possesses strong leadership abilities, extensive administrative and management experience, and is able to establish effective communication and co-operative relationships at all levels of government. I am convinced that she is both suitable and capable of leading the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. In the period ahead, the Bureau's paramount responsibility will be to take the lead, under the direction of the Chief Executive, in co-ordinating and compiling Hong Kong's first five-year plan. This five-year plan is of great significance to Hong Kong's future development. In her various roles within the Government, Miss Tse was frequently responsible for compiling and scrutinising important reports. I am confident that, under the leadership of the Chief Executive, she will be able to guide the Bureau's staff in successfully fulfilling the task of co-ordinating the compilation of Hong Kong's five-year plan."
The following is the biographical note on Miss Tse:
Miss Tse joined the Government in June 1987 and retired in January 2025. During her time in the Government, she served in the Executive Officer and Labour Officer Grades before joining the Administrative Service in June 1988, rising to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in April 2023. She served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former Civil Service Branch, the former New Airport Projects Co-ordination Office, the former Economic Services Branch, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, the former Finance Bureau, the former Economic Development and Labour Bureau, the former Transport and Housing Bureau and the former Food and Health Bureau. She was Director of Home Affairs from April 2016 to January 2022, was Permanent Secretary for the Environment (later renamed as Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment))/Director of Environmental Protection from January to December 2022, and was Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment) from January 2023 to January 2025.
Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), is pictured with the new Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa (left), today (March 30). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The new Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa (left), takes the oath of office, witnessed by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), today (March 30). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
EDB announces notification arrangements on Secondary One discretionary places and distribution of school choice documents for Central Allocation
Parents of Primary Six students participating in the current (2026) cycle of the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System who have made applications at the discretionary places (DP) stage will receive notifications tomorrow (March 31) from the secondary schools they have applied for if their children have been selected as successful applicants. Students who have not been notified as successful DP applicants can participate in the Central Allocation (CA), the Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (March 30).
Digitalisation of SSPA
———————————
The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" as early as possible and activate their SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) (esspa.edb.gov.hk) account using "iAM Smart+" for more convenient and faster electronic services throughout the entire Secondary One application process. The SSPA e-Platform Parent's Guide is available on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/sspa_eplatform_parents_guide.html) with a series of videos to introduce the procedures for submitting CA applications via the eSSPA.
Notification arrangements for successful DP applicants
————————————————————————————
Under the notification arrangements for successful DP applicants, if students are included by participating secondary schools in their Successful Lists for Discretionary Places, their parents will receive notifications from the secondary schools concerned on March 31. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+" may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they will accept the DP offers or not.
Parents of successful DP applicants who have also successfully applied for a school place in a non-participating Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary school should decide between the two options. If the parents decide to accept the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary schools, they should disregard the notifications from the secondary schools which have selected their children at the DP stage. Their children will be allocated to the DSS secondary school concerned according to the established mechanism. If the parents decide to decline the offer from the non-participating DSS secondary schools, they should notify the DSS secondary schools concerned and retrieve the originals of the signed Parent's Undertaking and the Primary 6 Student Record Form on or before April 10 in order to retain the school place successfully applied for at the DP stage.
Distribution of school choice documents for CA
————————————————————————
Parents who have registered as eSSPA users and bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may browse choice-making information and documents, submit CA applications and view allocation results via the eSSPA.
Primary schools participating in the SSPA System have been informed to collect copies of choice-making documents on April 9. Parents of Primary Six students participating in the SSPA will each receive from their children's primary schools the following documents:
- the Secondary School List (SSL) of the respective school net (with the latest version available online); and
- the Secondary One Choice of Schools Form (Choice Form) (only for parents who have not submitted DP applications on the eSSPA).
To cater for the needs of different parents, the EDB will distribute paper Choice Forms through primary schools to parents who have not submitted DP applications on the eSSPA. If parents have submitted DP applications via the eSSPA, they are required to continue using the e-platform to submit their CA applications. Parents may borrow the Handbook for Unrestricted School Choices for reference from primary schools or obtain the latest version of the Handbook through the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk) and the fax service of the EDB's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry system on 28910088.
Filling in CA Choice Form
—————————————
Both the electronic and paper Choice Forms are divided into two parts (Part A and Part B). Parents should refer to the Handbook with information on secondary schools in all districts when filling in Part A "Unrestricted School Choices" of the Choice Form and choose not more than three secondary schools from any school net, including the student's school net. As for Part B "Restricted School Choices", parents should refer to their children's SSL of their school net to choose secondary schools according to their preference, and fill up the 30 choices as far as possible. Parents must not enter any school choices which are not in the SSL of the school net of the children in Part B since those school choices will not be processed.
The EDB reminded parents that prior to making school choices for their children, they should read carefully the Notes for Parents on Central Allocation on the EDB's website to understand in detail the SSPA System. Parents should also consider the schools in all respects, such as their educational philosophy, tradition, religion, class structure, development and operation, and their children's characteristics, personalities, abilities and interests, so as to make a suitable school choice. Parents may refer to the Secondary School Profiles 2025/2026 (www.chsc.hk/secondary) or school websites for the relevant information.
Parents must return the completed electronic or paper Choice Form to their children's primary schools for the schools' submission to the EDB on or before May 7. Parents should not submit duplicate applications via the eSSPA and in paper form to the attending primary school for the same child. Should individual parents have genuine difficulties in returning the duly completed Choice Form to their children's primary schools in person or through an authorised representative, he or she should contact the primary schools in advance for appropriate arrangements.
Announcement of allocation results for SSPA
———————————————————————
The results for SSPA 2026 for both the DP and CA stages will be announced on July 7. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users with "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+" may view the allocation results via the eSSPA starting from 10am that day. Parents wishing to receive the result of their children via SMS message on that day should provide a mobile phone number on the electronic or paper Choice Form to indicate their consent to receive the SMS message of the result at that phone number. Parents may refer to the Notes for Parents for more information.
Parents who have questions in completing the Choice Form are advised to consult their children's primary schools. Relevant information about the SSPA System and some frequently asked questions will be uploaded to the EDB's website on April 9 for parents' reference. Further enquiries may also be directed to the School Places Allocation Section (SSPA) of the EDB (Tel: 28327740 and 28327700).
Source: AI-found images
