CONFIDENTIAL
39.
to provide self-care
able-bodied elderly
During 1985 the Housing Authority agreed
hostels in public housing estates for the more
members of the population; these hostels were in addition to the
existing quota of shared flats and housing units for single persons
in public housing estates. For those requiring a greater degree of
personal care, the planning ratio for care-and-attention homes was
raised from four to five places per thousand of the elderly
population.
(b) Education
40.
In the period under review, the Hong Kong Government again
demonstrated the high value they place on extending educational
opportunities. They set themselves the target of providing by 1991
enough subsidised places in Forms 4
Forms 4 and 5 (for children aged 15 and
16) in
secondary schools, and in one-year full-time craft courses in
technical institutes
institutes and training centres, to satisfy the demand for
post-junior secondary education of 96% of the age group completing
Form 3. The achievement of this target which will mainly involve
the construction of 24 new secondary schools, will permit the
phasing out of the unpopular Junior Secondary Education Assessment
system, which at present selects and allocates Form 3 leavers to a
limited number of Form 4 places in the public sector.
41.
During the year 28,000 full-time or equivalent part-time
students attended institutions of higher learning in Hong Kong, of
whom 13,000 were on degree courses. In addition, the Joint Funding
Scheme for Hong Kong students in Britain has provided a further
valuable source of subsidised places in higher education. In Hong
Kong, the target figure for first year places in first degree
courses by
1994-95 was just over 6,300 un til the Government
announced that it would proceed with the planning of a third
University. The target for provision of first year degree places by
1994-95 was thus increased to over 7,500. Hong Kong's second
Polytechnic, the City Polytechnic, planning for which started in
1982, admitted its first students in October in temporary premises,
while its permanent campus is being constructed. Planning for
third University will commence shortly.
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CONFIDENTIAL