UNCLASSIFIED
2 -
Education
4. Frimary and junior secondary education is now compulsory and
free in ilong kong up to the age of 14 (15 next year). Fees are
charged for senior secondary and post secondary education, though
in Government schools they represent only 20% of the total cost.
The Government recently announced plans for expanding senior
secondary and higher education: by the mid-eighties, places will
be available for 8% of children to continue into senior secondary
education, and for 33% of them to go on to higher education after
that. Emphasis is also being placed on improving the quality of
education.
Health Services
a 27%
5. There are 20,000 hospital beds in Hong Kong: this figure is to
be raised to 31,800 in 1985. Health care generally is provided
through Government-run or subsidised out-patient clinics:
increase in the number of these is planned in the same period.
Other health services will also be expanded. hedical charges are
minimal (lıkə2 per visit to an out-patient clinic, Hä♪5 per day for
hospitalisation) and are waived in cases of need. An effective
system of preventive medicine has been developed to the extent that
diseases such as tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, cholera and malaria,
previously major causes of death in Hong Kong, have now largely been
brought under control. ▲ concerted programme by Government and
voluntary agencies to control drug addiction is achieving marked
success: particularly encouraging is the significant reduction in
the number of young people taking to drugs.
Locial welfare