(b)
Education
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58.
Some 17% of total public expenditure was devoted to the Hong
Kong education system last year, more than on any other single item
of government activity. During the year the Hong Kong overnment
pressed ahead with its secondary schools building programme
further 36 schools
1990.
are scheduled for completion between now and
On present progress, the full demand for places in forms 4
and 5 of secondary schools should be met by 1991.
A Chinese
ensure
Textbooks Committee was established whose task will be to
that an adequate supply of good quality textbooks will be available
to schools wishing to adopt Chinese as the medium of instruction.
59.
and
in
Hong Kong,
The report contains
education, pre-school
The Education Commission, set up in April 1984 to co-ordinate
give consolidated advice on educational policy
released its second report in September.
far-reaching recommendations for sixth form
education, teacher preparation, open education and the financing of
the education system.
Public comment has been invited on its
proposals and considerable debate has been generated. The Hong Kong
Government expects to make decisions on the implementation of the
report's recommendations in early 1987, following completion of the
period of public consultation
60.
1
The new
In 1986 the Hong Kong Government announced its intention to
establish a third university in the territory. A committee to
Oversee the planning of the new institution has now been established
with distinguished local and overseas membership
university will be a
grouping of professional schools emphasising
science, technology, management and business studies
expected that it will admit its first students in the early 1990s by
which time the number of first-year, first degree places available
to Hong Kong students will have risen to 8,300 compared with the
present figure of 4,200
It
is
the Hong
61.
Hong Kong now has five degree awarding institutions:
Kong and Chinese universities, the two polytechnics and the Baptist
College. In 1986 there were 16,000 students on degree courses and
additional programmes will be introduced this year.
At present,
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