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5 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1974
EDUCATION POLICIES EXPLAINED
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THE ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PRIMARY), MR. GLEN PARRY, AND THE SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER (PRIMARY), MRS. TERESE WEI, MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF GROUPS OF RESIDENTS FROM NGAU TAU KOK, TAI WAN SHAN AND TAI HANG TUNG THIS HORNING WHEN THEY CALLED ON THE EDUCATION DEPARTHENT.
THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE THREE DISTRICTS SOUGHT CLARIFICA- TION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION TO THEIR THREE REQUESTS TO :
1.
2.
SPEED UP THE PROVISION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES AND IMPLEMENT NINE YEARS OF FREE EDUCATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE- ABOLISH THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION AND 3. MAKE IMMEDIATE ARRANGEMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE PRIMARY 6
SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOCATED FORM 1 PLACES.
DURING THE MEETING MR. PARRY EXPLAINED THAT SINCE SEPTEMBER 1971 EDUCATION HAS BEEN FREE IN ALL GOVERNMENT CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND IN THE MAJORITY OF ADIED PRIMARY SCHOOLS. THIS HAD NOT BEEN AN EASY ACHIEVEMENT BEARING IN MIND THAT OVER HALF A MILLION PUPILS WERE NOW ENJOY ING FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION. IN ITS REPORT, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAD NOTED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION AT FORMS 1 TO 3 LEVEL WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AT LEAST UNTIL PLACES WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE WHOLE AGE GROUP. WHILE THE BOARD DID NOT RECOMMEND THE PROVISION OF FREE EDUCATION FOR THOSE IN FORMS 1 TO 3 LEVEL IT STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING FREE PLACES TO ENSURE THAT NO CHILD SHOULD BE DENIED A GOVERNMENT OR AIDED OR ASSISTED PLACE BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY OF ITS PARENTS TO PAY THE SCHOOL FEES.
WITHIN THE PRESENT FEE STRUCTURE AND FEE REMISSION SCHEME THERE WAS ALREADY ADEQUATE PROVISION TO ENSURE THAT NO PUPIL WHO HAVING GAINED A PLACE IN A COVERNMENT OR AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOL IS DENIED THAT PLACE BECAUSE HIS PARENTS WERE UNABLE TO PAY THE FEES.
IN THE POST-PRIMARY FIELD IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S DECLARED AIM TO PROVIDE AT LEAST THREE YEARS OF AIDED SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN SEEKING IT THUS PROGRESSIVELY MAKING AVAILABLE WITH GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AT LEAST THREE YEARS POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION TO ALL CHILDREN IN THE 12-14 ACE GROUP.
IT IS INTENDED TO ACHIEVE THE FIRST HALF OF THIS GOAL, THAT IS TO SAY TO PROVIDE FOR 50 PER CENT OF THE AGE GROUP BY 1976. THIS HAD NOW BEEN ACHIEVED TWO YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TARGET.
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IT MAY BE THAT THE WHITE PAPER COULD SUGGEST A MORE GENEROUS PROVISION OF PLACES THAN RECOMMENDED BY THE GREEN PAPER.
AS REGARDS FUTURE SECONDARY EXPANSION POLICY, MR. PARRY SAID THIS WOULD BE OUTLINED IN THE FORTHCOMING WHITE PAPER TO BE TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EARLY IN THE NEW SESSION WHICH BEGINS NEXT MONTH. HE EMPHASIZED THAT THE FINAL DECISIONS ON ALL EDUCATION- AL POLICIES RESTED WITH THE GOVERNMENT, ACTING AS IT DOES ON THE /DVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS.
/ON THE