EDUCATION
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the warmth with which these representatives of Hong Kong's vast school population greeted the royal guests.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
Most primary schools are Chinese, with Cantonese as the language of instruction. English is studied as a second language from the second year of the course. Five government primary schools cater for children whose normal language is English.
The total primary day school enrolment in September was 619,513 which is 99.8 per cent of the estimated number of children in the six-11 year inclusive age group. In addition, 38,072 pupils were attending primary night schools and special afternoon classes. Nevertheless, it is still possible for a child of primary school age to experience difficulty in finding a school place at fees which his parents can afford. This difficulty stems in part from the fact that many school places are occupied by overage children. Further expansion is therefore continuing, particularly in developing areas. In new resettlement estates the 24-classroom annexe-type school has become the standard form of primary provision.
During the year 45,170 new primary places were provided com- pared with 46,395 in the previous year.
There are no government kindergarten schools but there is an increasing demand for this type of education. Since the entry age to primary schools has reverted to six, kindergarten schools generally cater for children aged from three to six. These schools, which are registered with the Education Department and advised by the inspectorate, rose in number from 367 in 1965 to 412 in September 1966, and enrolment increased from 46,595 to 56,520.
Twenty-two special schools cater for blind, deaf, physically handi- capped and mentally handicapped children. In September 1966, some 200 physically handicapped children were in attendance at ordinary government primary schools and three additional experimental classes for slow-learning children were opened during that month. An introductory course for teachers of slow-learning children was organized in the summer of 1966 by the special education section of the inspectorate. A braille printing press operated by the Gov- ernment Printing Department produces textbooks in Cantonese braille whose production is organized by the Education Department.