HONG KONG STANDARD 19/11/68
Mr. Gaminara
:REDS AID SCHOOLS SECRETLY
HON
By PETER MAK
ONGKONG Communists are secretly giving financial support to more than 100 small private schools that would have closed down because of the present "slump" in private school development.
Apart from planning to set up more leftist schools and branches since last year's disturbances, the Reds are apparently stepping up their efforts to reinforce their "cadet" strength by in- filtrating into private schools.
The sources, associated with private schools, blamed the Government for indirectly giving the Communists a chance to do so.
These sources pointed out that the majority of private schools were being plagued by financial pro- blems which arose from an "unsound” private school policy of the Education Department-"one that cal- culates to an undue discrimination against private schools" despite the important part they were playing in the overall educational development in Hongkong. "All this has made some of those small schools which could hardly survive their financial difficul- ties, fall easy prey to Communist infiltration," the sources said.
Red danger
Although these schools have not been completely taken over, there is always the danger of the Com- munists gradually and eventually exploiting them to achieve their end. "It is not hard to see what they are up to," the sources added.
On the Communist school list were recently add- ed three new schools and two school branches which have been newly registered by, the Education Depart- ment.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31 29 NOV 1968
CHICK L
The department is now con- sidering 12 more applications -two for new schools and the rest for school extensions.
The sources warned that the Communist move into private schools would continue as long as "the Government re- inains indifferent to private schools without seriously con- sidering their plight."
were
Official statistics reveal that up to March 31 this year, there 1,007 private primary and secondary day schools, with a total enrolment of more than half a million,
Mr Carter. K.246 клив
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R.271 (for file)
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