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end of this month. As soon as the information has been received and collated in the Education Office, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN will be given the information he has requested. The Director of Education points out, however, that this information will be based on a somewhat arbitrary group of schools which wholly or mainly serve the resettlement estates but not exclusively, since "schools in resettlement estates" do not form an official category of schools.
The wording of this question indicates that there may be some misunderstanding regarding free places in primary schools. Until 1965 the number of free places allowed was limited to 10%. Subsequently the policy was broadened so that no child should be prevented from attending a Government or aided school to which he had been admitted solely because he could not pay the fees. There is therefore now no fixed number of awards. Administratively Government makes financial provision for 20% of the total fees to be remitted and schools have been authorized to grant remission (full or partial) up to this amount. But all eligible schools are also informed that they may apply for additional funds if they have needy pupils who cannot be accommodated within the initial quota. The Education Department will then authorize additional awards by re-allocating funds from the many schools which do not need to award the 20%. The Government has already made it clear that it is prepared at any time to increase the provision to more than 20%, but so far this has not proved necessary.
(Mr. Henry H. L. HU arrived at this point).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, could I ask the Chairman of the Resettlement Management Committee whether he is aware that, as of May this year, there were 159,746 children in primary schools. At the same time, there were 24,324 vacant primary school places in resettlement estates. Yet, there were 24,438 children of primary school age who were not attending school?
MR. LI:— Mr. Chairman, the figures quoted by Mr. CHEONG-LEEN are quite real, and I would thank him for the interest which he takes in these figures. But I think the basic reason why many of the children are unable to go to school is one of economics. For example, elder brothers having to work to augment the family income or to look after younger brothers and sisters. I think this is quite apart from the question of fees as such.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, could the Chairman of the Management Select Committee advise whether he is aware that, as of May this year, there were 23,079 children who were receiving family assistance from eleven voluntary agencies to enable them to go to school?
MR. LI:- Mr. Chairman, as I explained earlier, even financial assistance sometimes is not enough, because the elder brother or the elder sister very often has to look after the younger brother or younger sister at home, and no financial assistance of any kind will enable such children to enter schools.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -- Mr. Chairman, for the record, I do not think that there has been any survey which has yet been completed to show the correct position. But could I ask, through you, Mr. Chairman, for the Chairman of the Management Select Committee to bring this matter to the attention of his Committee at its next meeting?
MR. LI: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, may I also ask if the Commissioner could make an enquiry, because I do not think this answer is adequate. I think one reason why these children do not go to school is that when they come to resettlement areas they have special problems; that they go to Government subsidized schools where the age groups are wrong, and I think a lot of children are kept out of school because of that. Could we have an enquiry about that point?
CHAIRMAN:--- I Could pass the message on to the relevant department, Mrs. ELLIOTT. It is rather out of line with the original question, but I shall pass it on.
MR. BERNACCHI:- Does the Chairman of the Resettlement Management Committee, in his supplementary answers to Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, mean that, in effect, the only answer is compulsory free education?
MR. LI:- I do not think I am competent to comment on Mr. BERNACCHI'S remark.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, would the Chairman of the Management Select Committee be prepared to invite Mr. BERNACCHI and myself to attend the meeting when the subject is to be discussed?
MR. LI:- I would be most delighted to do so, Mr. Chairman.
(4) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:
What is our policy concerning the issue of hawker licences to young applicants under the age of 21? How many such applications were received in 1966, 1967 and 1968?
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