4.2
In the 1974 White Paper, Government committed itself to providing subsidised Form IV-V places for 40% of the 15-16 year old population. This target would represent a considerable improvement on the number of senior secondary places that are available at present: at September 1977 there were subsidised senior secondary places for only 17% of the age group, though this percentage will increase rapidly upon completion of schools already in the building programme.
The Government now proposes to raise this target to 50% of the population. The primary school leavers who will have proceeded to subsidised Form I places in 1978 without having taken the Secondary School Entrance Examination will have completed Form III in 1981 and thus session 1981-82 is the appropriate date for implementing the new target. Government will ensure that by September 1981 there are sufficient subsidised Form IV places for 50% of the 15 year old population, with subsequent progression to Form V. This undertaking will require 46,800 subsidised Form IV places, more than double the 19,600 such places available in September 1977.
4.3
The 27,200 additional places that are required in Form IV and subsequently in Form V will be created through the continuing school building programme and by subsidising Form IV-V places in private non profit-making schools, including asymmetrical schools, whose structure will be made more symmetrical. Financial approval has already been obtained for the building of 54 new secondary schools, including converted primary schools, for completion between 1976 and 1978, and for a further 30 new secondary schools for completion between 1979 and 1981. As part of the means of reaching the 50% target by 1981, it is now proposed to build an additional 18 new schools for completion by September 1981, all of which will be fully subsidised under the Code of Aid. These schools will provide a further 2,880 places in each of Forms IV and V.
4.4
The remaining places needed to reach the 50% target in 1981 will be obtained by bringing into the scheme of assistance the Form IV (and subsequently Form V) places in asymmetrical and other private non profit-making schools. Asymmetrical schools provide 8 classes in each of Forms I-III, where Government buys places and assists with a per caput grant. They were intended to provide only 2 classes in each of Forms IV and V. Classes above
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