8
Education
A COMMON sight for the Hong Kong motorist is the raised hand of the traffic policeman assisting hundreds of school children to cross busy streets on their way to or from school. As fast as some children leave after the morning session, others swarm in for instruction in the afternoon. In the evening many of the same schools cater for further children in an early evening session, or are used for evening classes or as adult recreation and training
centres.
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The number of pupils in every type of school continued to rise during 1961, particularly in primary schools where by the end of September the enrolment figure reached 484,536. Altogether there were 658,618 pupils enrolled at all schools, colleges and education centres-85,812 more than the previous year. Detailed figures are given in Appendix VI.
SCHOOL EXPANSION PROGRAMME
The seven year primary school expansion programme, which began in October 1954, officially ended in 1961 (see graph on next page), but the effort to provide primary education for all children of primary school age will continue. The total increase in primary school places achieved by September 1961, was 313,000 --some 98,000 places more than the target figure of 215,000. During the first nine months of the year 57 new schools were built, some by Government, some with Government assistance and some by private organizations. Fifty one of these were primary schools, making available 631 new classrooms and 51,265 more school places. The increase in the number of classrooms was partially achieved by the building of 10 extensions to existing schools. Details of the increase in the number of classrooms and the corresponding increase in school places are given in Appendix VI.