10
EDUCATION
THE Community attaches a very high value to education, both as a key to personal advancement and as a major factor in social stability and economic development. This is reflected not only in the public resources allocated to education - no other programme of activity takes a larger share of the government budget; it is evident too in the contribution made by many thousands of individuals as sponsors or managers of schools, and as members of the advisory bodies, executive authorities, and governing bodies of educational institutions.
The mid-1990s will see the culmination of a massive programme of expansion in educational opportunity, which began with the introduction of universal primary education in 1971. Only at the tertiary level does demand still outstrip opportunity; at the school level, targets of provision are now almost fully achieved. Present strategy is therefore based on two premises: that tertiary-level places should be greatly increased; while at the school level the focus should shift from increasing the quantity to assuring the quality of education.
The Structure of the Education System
Formal educational opportunity encompasses kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools (including technical and prevocational schools), technical institutes, and tertiary- level institutions. The great majority of places from primary school upwards are provided either free or at highly-subsidised rates in the public sector. All kindergarten provision is in the private sector, and other areas with strong private support include international schools and schools providing language, computer, and business courses.
All children are required by law to be in full-time education between the ages of six and 15. The core of the education system is thus formed by the primary and secondary schools. However, there is a large demand for formal education both before and after universal education.
Pre-school education begins for most children in a kindergarten, at the age of three. Primary school begins at the age of six, and lasts for six years. At about 12, children progress to a three-year course of junior secondary education in a grammar, prevocational or technical school. After Secondary 3, most stay on for a two-year senior secondary course leading to the first public examination, the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE). Others join a full-time craft course of vocational training; while a small number choose to leave formal education at this point.
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