18.
a fair choice of schools. Most of the bought places in private
independent schools will eventually be phased out as new schools are
built: this will result in a further increase in the relative size of
the aided sector.
2.27 English schools The English schools are those operated by
the English Schools Foundation for English-speaking children, for
whom no suitable alternative educational facilities are available in
the public sector in Hong Kong (in most cases the children of
expatriate parents employed in Hong Kong). Children whose knowledge
of Chinese is limited but whose mother tongue is not English are
not considered to be the primary responsibility of the Foundation.
Both the structure and curricula of the English schools are based
very closely on those of the state system in England and Wales and
virtually all of their pupils who proceed to tertiary education enter
institutions outside Hong Kong. A fuller description of these schools
and of recent policy changes affecting their administration and mode
of financing is contained in the Report of the Committee to Review
the Application of the Parity of Subsidy Principle to the English-
speaking Schools (1980). The terms "English school" and "English-
medium school" need to be differentiated: the latter refers to the
Anglo-Chinese schools which, as explained, cater for Chinese children
but use English as the principal medium of instruction.
2.28 Student guidance
Relative priorities in the development
of education have been such that formal schemes for student guidance
in schools were only introduced in this decade though the Education
Department believes that the ordinary teacher in the classroom is
able by the nature of his work and his close relationship with the
pupils in his care to provide informal guidance on a wide range of
!