CONFIDENTIAL 機密
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3
XCC(74)69
places for 100% of those in the 12-14 age group, and 5 year places for 40% of those in the 12-16 age group, by 1984. It was common ground in the comments received that the Green Paper's suggested interim targets of 80/36% by 1981, and final targets of 100/40% by 1984 was a disappointingly long time-span. The public view clearly hoped that the final targets might be brought forward as much as possible.
B
6
Among the comments received were constructive proposals from the Ad-hoc Education Group of Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, advocating in particular that the achievement of the ultimate goal be speeded up by the maximisation of enrolments to be made possible by adopting temporary expedients such as 'flotation' and the extended-day pattern of school timetables.
7
As a result of the representations received on the Green Paper, the Board of Education reconsidered its earlier recommendations, and endorsed modified proposals based upon the UMELCO suggestions. The proposed White Paper (at Annex B) - Secondary Education in Hong Kong during the next decade - is closely based upon the modified proposals agreed by the Board of Education on 6th June 1974.
The 1974 White Paper on Secondary Education
8
The nub of the proposed White Paper is that there should be nine years of subsidised general education for all children, and that places for 100% of the 12-14 age group and 40% of the 15-16 age group should be provided by September 1979. It will be noted that the interim 1976 targets approved in 1971 will have been very nearly fulfilled by September 1974, two years ahead of schedule (see paragraph 3.3 of the White Paper).
9
Ideally the achievement of the new 1979 targets should be linked to the completion of a substantial school building programme, but in view of the planned shift of population to the New Towns, and considerations of the high cost and construction difficulties in the time available, it is apparent that these targets can only be realised by 1979 by a much more intensive use of existing school premises. It is therefore proposed that all government and aided schools should accept and practise the flotation/extended day system to the fullest extent possible, and that the balance of places required to achieve these targets by 1979 be "bought" in private schools.
C.S. 166
CONFIDENTIAL
機密