necessarily the most appropriate answer to the needs of a community as developed as Hong Kong is rapidly becoming, or with the extensive facilities for post-secondary technical education and vocational training that are being built in Hong Kong.
2.12 Existing prevocational schools, and those already planned or under construction, will continue as such for as long as they attract pupils. They will be allowed to accept children living anywhere in Hong Kong, and will not be restricted to drawing pupils from any par- ticular geographical area. Although some parents wish their children to receive the type of education offered by prevocational schools, it appears that public support is more limited than was previously thought.
2.13 The Government has already embarked upon a substantial programme of technical institutes starting with Morrison Hill, and a further four are already under construction or in the planning stage. A major function of these institutes is to provide the related technical education which is required to complement the on-the-job training provided by industry. This aspect of technical education is of course. of a vocational nature. The question of a further expansion in this field will depend upon the long term acceptability of technical institute trainees to industry. Technical institutes will provide a substantial num- ber of places which will permit pupils leaving prevocational and other schools after Form III, to obtain full time technical training. Technical institutes will also provide for the training of apprentices under part- time day release training schemes.
2.14 As already mentioned in paragraph 2.5, practical and technical subjects will be included in the common curriculum of the junior secondary course, as speedily as facilities in schools permit. The cur- riculum for the two year technical course in senior secondary technical schools will be revised in order to give more emphasis to technical subjects, to ensure that pupils reach adequate standards in these sub- jects both in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination taken in Form V, and for employment in industry.
2.15 The practical and technical content of the common curriculum for the junior secondary course, the substantial expansion of technical institutes and the intended overall ratio of three grammar to two secondary technical schools indicate that the Government attaches considerable importance to a build-up of technical education at the secondary level in line with Hong Kong's future needs.
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