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EDUCATION
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60 per cent target, an enhanced rate of subsidy is provided to kindergartens employing a higher percentage of QKTs than the stipulated requirement.
Primary Schools
Schooling in government and aided primary schools is free. About 10 per cent of parents prefer to send their children to private primary schools. Admission to Primary 1 aided and government schools is through a centralised system, established to eliminate pressure on children caused by intense competition for entry to popular schools. In September, 442 000 children were enrolled in 721 government and aided primary schools.
Many primary schools operate bi-sessionally but the Government aims to implement whole-day primary schooling progressively. Schools are encouraged to convert to whole-day operation where feasible. Since 1993, all new primary schools are operated on a whole-day basis. The Government's interim target is to enable 60 per cent of places in government and aided primary schools to be operated on whole- day basis in the 2002-03 school year. The Government plans to build about 70 schools between 1999 and 2002. The longer term aim is for virtually all primary school students to enjoy whole-day schooling from the start of the 2007-08 school year. In pursuing this aim, the Government recognises constraints such as the availability of sufficient school sites in individual districts and possible shifts in population growth and distribution.
The Government regularly updates and improves the design for primary schools. In parallel, works to improve facilities in existing schools have been carried out under the School Improvement Programme since 1994. By the end of 1999, 165 schools had received additional facilities under this programme.
The student-to-teacher ratio is about 22:1. Since 1994, the Government has been upgrading teaching posts in government and aided primary schools to graduate level with a view to achieving 35 per cent graduate teachers by 2001-02. About 1 640 graduate posts will be created in the 1999-2000 school year. By the end of the 1999-2000 school year, about 20 per cent of the teaching posts in primary schools will have been upgraded to graduate posts.
To encourage good learning and reading habits among primary school pupils, the Government is providing, on top of class libraries, a central library in each primary school by phases. A teacher-librarian is provided to manage the school central library and to organise library activities for the pupils. The 1999 Reading Award Scheme for Primary 5 and 6 attracted 60 000 pupils from 470 primary schools.
At the end of Primary 6, all pupils in schools participating in the Government's Secondary School Places Allocation System are provided free Secondary 1 places. Allocation is based on parental choice and internal school assessments scaled by a centrally-administered Academic Aptitude Test. In 1999, 75 355 pupils took part in the allocation and 53 412 (70.9 per cent) were allocated one of their first three school choices of whom 37 026 (49.1 per cent) were allocated their first choice.
Secondary Schools
There are five types of secondary curriculum: grammar, technical, prevocational, practical and skills opportunity. The first three types of curriculum are offered in five-year secondary courses leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education