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Friday, October 9, 1970
3
RECHER, MA.01
NKK 911
SYSTEM OF MASS EDUCATION
Infrastructive Of Policy Soundly Based
Mr. J. Canning, Director of Education, said today Hong Kong was
moving in a determined way from a position of education for the few to a
system of mass education.
He told the Legislative Council the infrastructure of education
in the Colony was soundly based, and the decade of the 1970s would see, in
time, an expansion of education facilities at least equal to the expansion
that had been achieved in any previous decade.
In the early 50s, primary placos in government and aided primary
schools were in a minority, and education in government and aided secondary
places was available "only for a few olite pupils.
But today, the Government would soon be in a position where it
could offer a place in a government and aided primary school to all children
of primary school age and was contemplating not only the abolition of
foes in the generality of these schools, but also the introduction of powers
to safeguard childron from boing unnecessarily withhold from primary schools.
It was also planning the provision of at least three years of post-
primary education for all children.
"These aro significant advances indeed, but understandably perhaps,
there are many who press for further advances in other areas of education.
I have no doubt that further advances will be made, but the pace of these
advances must bo carefully judged," Mr. Canning said.
/In reply
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