C.S. 166
CONFIDENTIAL # #
XCC(77)46
Copy No.34.. of 80 Page 8 of 13
1974 White Paper. The alternative of reducing the number of subsidised senior secondary places so that the 1974 White Paper target would not be exceeded during the years of falling population is not considered to be acceptable politically. The Working Party considers that the provision of subsidised senior secondary places for a higher proportion of the population than 50% might have effects that would be undesirable, partly because it would have the effect of drawing students away from the craft level courses in technical institutes. It is likely, however, that there will be senior secondary places in private non-profit making schools for a further 10% of the population thus enabling some 60% of the population to proceed to Form V in places of reasonable quality outside the independent sector. The existence of these places in private non-profit making schools will enable the public sector to be expanded further, if subsequently found to be necessary and justified. The likely size of the independent sector at this stage is particularly difficult to judge, but if demand for all types of education beyond Form III is assumed not to exceed 75%, then there would be no additional demand beyond that met by subvented and non-profit making schools and by technical institutes to be taken up by the independent sector. Accordingly, by the mid 1980's even the better independent schools may be unable to obtain sufficient enrolments to remain viable, unless they prove to be more attractive than some other types of schools or the technical institutes.
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The Working Party has recommended also that a sixth technical institute should be built at Tuen Mun if justified by the support given by industry to the five institutes that are already planned and if a local institute is required to support the developing industries at Tuen Mun. Although memorandum XCR(72)257 of 19th December 1972 had estimated that Hong Kong's overall requirement might be for up to 8 technical institutes, the Technical Institute Programme Plan has found that provision of up to a total of only six institutes would be justified by industrial requirements. While there may be a case for locating a sixth institute at Tuen Mun in view of the relative distance of this New Town from alternative provision, there is not as strong a case for treating other New Towns similarly: the needs of Tsuen Wan are served by the institute at Kwai Chung and the needs of Sha Tin will be served by the new institute that will open at Kowloon Tong in 1979.
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Regarding higher education, the Working Party has re- commended that enrolment at the Polytechnic should not exceed 12, 000 full-time and equivalent part-time students (including evening students), a figure that would represent a total student population of about 32, 000.
CONFIDENTIAL
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