Between the dilemma

Ming Nuo Education — a Shenzhen-based exam training center — said Shenzhen's primary education standard is catching up quickly, which has led to more parents shifting their focus to placements in Shenzhen schools.

Shenzhen's school system, however, has been overstretched for years, as the city — China's innovation hub — sees a continued influx of young workers. It has about 350 primary schools for a population of 14 million. In comparison, Guangdong's provincial capital of Guangzhou has 965 primary schools for its 15 million people.

In 2017, Shenzhen relaxed its policies, granting children born in Hong Kong to mainland parents admission to the city's public primary schools, even though the children are not included in the mainland's household registration system, known as hukou.

Parents argued that the relaxation of school admission terms is still less attractive, because competition for slots in top-notch public schools still depends heavily on whether children have a Shenzhen hukou.

Cross-boundary children are treated the same as tens of thousands of others whose hukous are not in Shenzhen, which means their chances of being admitted to a quality school are slim.

In addition to hukou, the point-based enrollment mechanism attaches priorities to permanent residency, property ownership and social security.

Moreover, mainland parents tend to doubt the teaching quality of private schools, while most of them cannot afford tuition at international schools in Shenzhen, anyway.

"I wanted to keep my kid close for family protection. My husband insists on their staying in Hong Kong at least until after primary school," Zhang said. "We'll wait and see whether Hong Kong's situation turns better."

There are parents who cannot wait. Hing Tak School in Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan Trade Association Primary School saw three cross-boundary pupils dropping out, respectively, during the last semester, according to the schools.

"My son will cry if he has to leave. He has friends who have been with him here for four years," said Zhang. "I think of school transfer as the last option after weighing the pros and cons."

Likewise, Zhang didn't want to give up the privileges that only the Hong Kong system can bring, such as the DSE exam. Her "last option" would be the Shenzhen Luohu School for Hongkong Children — one of two Shenzhen schools whose students are still eligible for Hong Kong Secondary School Placement Allocation.

The school's president Liu Cheung-hin said he has seen a significant rise in the number of inquiries about admission to the school.

With the current turbulent school year drawing to a close, parents of cross-boundary pupils are keeping their fingers crossed that peace and inclusiveness will eventually return to Hong Kong, saving them from the dilemma of pondering the future of their children and families.