6
Education
HONG KONG's rapid industrial development has resulted in a continuing demand for building sites suitable for schools at a time when such sites are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially in urban areas. To achieve the maximum use of school buildings, therefore, many are occupied continuously throughout the day and evening, each accommodating two day schools on a shift system between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and serving in the evening as a night school, or for evening classes or as an adult recreation and training centre. By the end of September, enrolment in primary day and night schools was 627,621, which was 30,650 more than in 1964. Enrolment in all types of secondary schools had increased by 19,557 to 197,237. Altogether there were 914,311 pupils enrolled at all schools, colleges and education centres, 60,032 more than in 1964. Detailed figures are given in Appendix XXVI.
PATTERN OF EDUCATION
The report of a working party appointed by the government to advise on the recommendations of the 1963 Education Commis- sion was submitted in January. The working party, of which the majority of members were unofficials, gave detailed and com- prehensive consideration to the Colony's entire educational structure and held 45 meetings over a period of 12 months. A government white paper on education policy, outlining proposals and reser- vations concerning the Commission's recommendations, and in- corporating the working party report as an appendix, was sub- sequently tabled in the Legislative Council on 28th April 1965, and formally adopted with further modifications at a resumption of the debate on 30th June.
The main features of the proposals, the implementation of which began later in the year, are:
To provide as rapidly as possible a subsidized primary school place for every child of the right age who seeks one;