INTRODUCTION
ON 26th January, 1973, we were appointed by His Excellency the Governor to be the new Board of Education, with the following specific terms of reference-
"Having regard to the Government's objective of providing three years secondary education for all in the 12-14 year age group and doubling the percentage of places in the secondary schools for the full 5-year course leading to a Certificate of Education examination, to consider:
(1) any changes that should be introduced into the present type of
secondary education offered;
(2) the proportion of academic to vocational secondary education
appropriate in the circumstances of Hong Kong;
(3) any changes in the present examination system that should be
introduced;
(4) the time scale in which it would be practical and desirable to implement the Government's policy, with particular reference
to:
(a) the expansion of facilities for the training of teachers; (b) the secondary school building programme in the urban
areas, new towns and New Territories;
(c) the degree of bi-sessionalism that the Board considers appropriate in both the short and long term in secondary schools and teacher training colleges;
(5) to what extent in the circumstances of Hong Kong secondary
education should be provided free of charge."
The appointment of the Hon. Woo Pak-chuen to the chairmanship marked the first occasion that the Board of Education had an unoffi- cial chairman. The full membership of the Board comprised the following:
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