3
The aim of post-F 3 education is to further the
personal development of students, to groom them for their
responsibilities in society, to prepare them for higher
education and for employment, and not just to, I quote, "keep
them out of the streets".
Because of the difference in standard between
government/aided schools and the majority of private schools, the pressure upon students is unlikely to ease much by the purchase of F 4-5 places from the private sector because
parents and students would still wish to gain a place in a
satisfactory school.
The third point raised is that the cost required to
purchase places from private secondary schools is estimated at
$70 million per year, an insignificant amount compared with the
current annual expenditure on education.
The fact is that the $70 million estimates is based on
the assumption that 30,000 F 4-5 places will need to be bought
each year.
However, on the basis of the August 1984 population
projection produced by Census and Statistics, the number of places required to be bought is as follows:
1985-86
21010
$ 59.5 million
1986-87
40480
$114.6
"I
1987-88
36960
$104.6
10
1988-89
33240
$ 94.1
11
1989-90
28215
$ 79.9
"
1990-91
1991-92
16275
$ 46.1
3810
$ 10.8
#
$509.6 million
The fourth point is that the introduction of another
means to allocate children to F 4/craft places upon the abolition of the JSEA will cause unnecessary strain to students.