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months to complete and work should start early in the New Year.
The nature of the work will require special traffic routing and full information on this will be issued to the public before work actually starts.
(5) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) As of the end of September 1966 there were 19,000 children of primary school age in urban resettlement estates who were not attending school and about 11,700 vacancies in primary schools in these estates; can the Commissioner for Resettlement please inquire from the Education Department what steps have been taken to have these 11,700 vacancies filled?
(b) At the October 1966 meeting of the Council, the Commissioner for Resettlement stated that the Director of Social Welfare was prepared to have this matter brought to the attention of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service Educational Sponsorship Co-ordinating Committee and to the Director of Education. Can a statement be made as to when this was done, and the results arising therefrom?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
In addition to the posting of information about school vacancies on the notice boards in estate offices, and informing new tenants at the time of intake, arrangements were made through the Director of Information Services for information to be broadcast over Radio Hong Kong, Rediffusion and Commercial Radio on a number of occasions in August and September. Similar broadcasts will be made before Chinese New Year 1967. The number of vacancies in these schools at the end of September represented only about 8% of the available places. I understand that this is not regarded as a high percentage. It must be remembered that new schools have to work up to full capacity over a period of two or three years, and that movements of population and other factors give rise to vacancies which cannot necessarily be filled overnight. Bearing in mind also that the estates with the most vacancies are not necessarily the same as those with the most children who do not attend school, it would be unwise to suggest that a particular number of vacancies at any particular date implies under-utilization of existing facilities.
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The answer to the second part of the question is that my friend the Director of Social Welfare wrote to the Director of Education and the Council of Social Service on the 17th November, sending them a transcript of what had been said at our October meeting. The Director of Social Welfare is not able to say what result this action has had.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- May I ask a supplementary, Mr. Chairman?
If the percentage of the number of vacancies is 8% compared to the total availability of places in Resettlement Estates, does the Commissioner know what is the percentage of the 19,000 children who are not going to school as compared to the total number of children in school?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I do not think that would be a very relevant figure, Mr. Chairman, because a number of children attending schools in Resettlement Estates don't live there, whereas, a number of children living in Resettlement Estates attend schools outside.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, may I frame my question in a different way. Does the Commissioner for Resettlement know what is the total number of children of primary school age who aren't going to school in Resettlement Estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Mr. Chairman, if you will bear with me looking up the file
At the end of September this year, the total number of primary age school children from urban Resettlement Estates attending school was approximately 137,000.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- What is the total number of primary school age children living in our Resettlement Estates in the urban areas?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Mr. Chairman, I cannot give that answer off the cuff.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- Can that be provided at a later date, Sir?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Certainly, if Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN really wants the figure.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you very much Sir. Now, may I ask a final supplementary? Would it be possible for the Director of Social Welfare to check with the Council of Social Service as to what action has been taken, and could I be advised by letter as soon as he has that information?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- Yes, Sir.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you very much.
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