Official Hong Kong education data
Primary One school selection: turning SEN data into practical questions
The Education Bureau publishes primary SEN pupil numbers. Learn how to use these figures to prepare essential questions about identification, transition, classroom support and communication for school visits.
Parent starting point
Start with the key facts, then plan for your child
Every year, the Education Bureau updates statistics on special educational needs in public-sector ordinary primary schools, offering a system-level overview. Instead of fixating on the numbers, parents should convert them into concrete questions about support policies and practices.
Verified evidence
Primary pupils listed by SEN type in public-sector ordinary schools
Categories may overlap; do not sum the rows into a pupil total.
14,100
Specific learning difficulties
7,680
Autism spectrum disorder
6,030
Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder
3,960
Speech and language impairment
1,340
Intellectual developmental disorder
390
Hearing impairment
210
Mental illness
70
Physical disability
40
Visual impairment
| SEN type | Pupils |
|---|---|
| Specific learning difficulties | 14,100 |
| Autism spectrum disorder | 7,680 |
| Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder | 6,030 |
| Speech and language impairment | 3,960 |
| Intellectual developmental disorder | 1,340 |
| Hearing impairment | 390 |
| Mental illness | 210 |
| Physical disability | 70 |
| Visual impairment | 40 |
Step one: Understand the school's identification and assessment process
Specific learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorder frequently appear in published data, but identification procedures vary across schools. When visiting, parents can ask: What tools and protocols does the school use to identify SEN? What training have teachers received? How does the school collaborate with educational psychologists or professional teams? Such questions reveal whether the school proactively and systematically supports pupils, rather than relying only on parental reports.
Step two: Explore transition support and classroom adjustments
Moving from kindergarten to Primary One can be challenging due to changes in environment and learning style. Parents should enquire about transition programmes, such as orientation weeks, buddy systems, or social groups. Classroom adjustments are equally important: Will teachers use ability grouping? Are visual schedules, picture cards, or chunked instructions available? Is there flexibility in homework and assessment? Concrete answers say more about a school's inclusive culture than vague promises.
Step three: Build home-school communication bridges
Consistent, transparent communication underpins effective support. Parents can ask: Will the school schedule regular progress reviews? Is there a clear communication channel, such as a home-school diary, messaging app, or scheduled meetings? How are parental concerns handled? If behavioural or emotional difficulties arise, what response time can parents expect? These details show how much the school values parental partnership and help build mutual trust.
Use this with your child
Your parent action checklist
- Before visiting primary schools, prepare a personalised question list for your child.
- Check the school's annual report or development plan for SEN support objectives and resource allocation.
- During open days or briefing sessions, proactively speak with the SEN coordinator or counsellor.
- Join parent groups for those with SEN children to share school choice experiences, but remember every child's needs are unique.
What this tells you
The evidence indicates the prevalence of SEN categories in public-sector ordinary primary schools and how they are classified at a system level.
What this cannot tell you
The evidence cannot compare support levels, identification rates, or effectiveness across schools, nor predict the specific provision an individual child would receive.
Questions parents often ask
Can the published SEN categories be added together?
They should not be summed. The official explanation allows overlap, so one pupil may appear in more than one category.
Can territory-wide category counts compare individual-school support?
No. The statistics are aggregated by school level and category and contain no school-level service quality or outcome measure.
How should parents use these figures?
Use them to prepare questions about identification, transition, classroom adjustment and parent communication, then verify arrangements with each school.
Number of Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Public Sector Ordinary Primary and Secondary Schools by School Level and SEN Type
- Data period
- See source table
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-26
- Provider
- Education Bureau
What this tells you
Reported SEN student counts by school level, type and year.
What this cannot tell you
SEN categories may overlap and must not be summed without dictionary support.
Key Statistics on Special Education
- Data period
- 2025/26
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-26
- Provider
- Education Bureau
What this tells you
Territory-wide special education schools, classes, enrolment and teachers.
What this cannot tell you
Aggregate provision does not show the suitability of an individual school.
Student Enrolment in Special Education (Including Special Classes in Ordinary Schools) by Level
- Data period
- 2024
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-26
- Provider
- Education Bureau
What this tells you
Special-education enrolment by education level.
What this cannot tell you
The table does not rank SEN support quality.
How to use these figures
Contains information provided by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the named provider through DATA.GOV.HK. Figures retain their official data period; retrieval date is shown separately.
Enrolment, class size, staff, fees, facilities and SEN reporting are context. They are never converted into a quality score, popularity label, ranking or admission probability.