The government expects that 200 children living in the North District but allocated to schools in Tai Po will join a temporary lottery scheme that may allow them to go to a school nearer their homes. It will create extra places in North District classes and distribute them by ballot to children whose parents are unhappy with their children being placed in Tai Po schools.

The plan, announced three days before the release of primary school place allocations, was condemned by the education-sector lawmaker as random and a result of poor planning.

Places in North District schools are in big demand because of an influx of cross-border children who were either born in Hong Kong to mainland parents or were living in the mainland with their Hong Kong parents.

Under the temporary plan to tackle the problem this year, parents will first have to register their children with the Tai Po school three to four days after the placements are announced, and decide within a fortnight whether to seek a place in North District.

If they decide to do so, their Tai Po places will be forfeited and their children will be given a place in a North District school according to a random draw.

Parents will be informed of their children's new schools before the end of next month.

Writes Ada Lee for South China Morning Post