School Nets Decoded: How Hong Kong's 36 Nets Work and Why They Matter

A "school net" is the geographic unit Hong Kong's Primary One Admission (POA) System uses to allocate government and aided primary places. Hong Kong is divided into 36 school nets, each with a number (e.g. 11, 41, 91). Direct Subsidy (DSS), private and international schools admit directly and are not bound by nets.

How nets are drawn

Your net is set by your child's actual home address, not household registration or birthplace. A single administrative district (say Kowloon City) can contain more than one net. Moving changes your net — what matters is the address on your Central Allocation choice form.

To find yours, use the school-net lookup on the EDB Primary One Admission page — enter your address and it returns your net.

Where the net actually matters

The net only bites in Central Allocation Part B:

• Discretionary Places: no net restriction — apply to any government/aided primary in Hong Kong.
• Central Allocation Part A: no net restriction — list any three schools anywhere.
• Central Allocation Part B: only schools within your own net.

So the net mainly shapes your Part B options. See the P1 admission guide for the full picture.

Why some nets are so contested

But a hot net is competitive, so not everyone lands a first choice, and many nets have steadier options too. Choose on ethos, commute and your child's temperament — not net reputation alone.

How to pick schools by net

1. Confirm your net with the EDB tool.
2. Browse all primary schools, then pick the matching net — e.g. School Net 41 or School Net 11.
3. Note each school's through-train / nominated / feeder links, since they shape secondary progression.
4. When ranking Part B, order conservatively by popularity and your child's fit.

Crossing districts

If your target school sits outside your net, you can still pursue it through the Discretionary stage or Part A — there are simply fewer unrestricted places, with competition spanning the whole territory. Some families move to enter a desired net, but remember it's the address at choice time that counts, and weigh the commute and cost.

Understanding your net is the first step in planning P1 choices.