Hong Kong, May 21 (IANS): More than 2,000 senior secondary school students living in mainland China are expected to be among the first batch of pupils allowed to return to school in Hong Kong without needing to quarantine, the Education Bureau has revealed.

But the government's preliminary plan, which it released on Wednesday, gives no timescale for that to happen, meaning children were unlikely to be able to return alongside their local classmates on May 27, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper.

"As class resumption arrangements involve various areas including immigration control of the two places, epidemic prevention and control policies and transportation arrangements, we will continue to coordinate with different parties," a spokesman for the bureau said.

"As a number of the fine implementation details have yet to be finalised, it is expected that the new arrangement will not come into effect on May 27."

Under the proposals, the Lok Ma Chau border point, which has been closed since early February to contain the spread of COVID-19, would also be reopened, but only to allow cross-border pupils to travel to Hong Kong for school.

Some school principals told the SCMP they were disappointed the mainland pupils could not start school on time, and urged the authorities to open up more border points.

The bureau spokesman said further consideration would be needed before fixing a date for the arrangement, and urged schools to help pupils to continue to learn at home.

According to the initial plan, cross-border pupils would be allowed to enter the city through Shenzhen Bay or Lok Ma Chau border point between Monday and Friday.

Lok Ma Chau would be opened for schoolchildren but no one else.