7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1974
THE WHITE PAPER STRESSED THAT THE 1979 TARGETS SET FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION COULD BE ACHIEVED ON TIME IF
(A) ALL EXISTING AND PLANNED GOVERNMENT AND AIDED
SCHOOLS ACCEPT AND PRACTISE THE FLOTATION/EXTENDED DAY SYSTEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT BY SEPTEMBER 1976-
(B)
(C)
THE SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED ON SCHEDULE= AND
THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF 'BOUGHT' PLACES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS CAN BE ACQUIRED.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, BY 1983, 161 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
COST OF PROPOSALS
THE COST OF THE PROPOSALS SET OUT IN THE WHITE PAPER AT MID-1974 PRICES (WITH NO ALLOWANCE BEING MADE FOR INFLATION NOR FOR THE RECENT SALARY INCREASES APPROVED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND AIDED SCHOOLS) WOULD MAKE ESTIMATED RECURRENT EXPENDITURE RISE FROM $360 MILLION FOR SEPTEMBER 1975 TO $550 MILLION FOR SEPTEMBER 1979.
THE TOTAL COST OVER THIS FIVE-YEAR PERIOD IS LIKELY TO BE WELL OVER $2,250 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO SPEND $719 MILLJON ON CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE 10-YEAR PERIOD SEPTEMBER 1974 TO SEPTEMBER 1983. ANOTHER $141 MILLION WILL BE REQUIRED FROM SPONSORS.
+THESE ARE VERY SUBSTANTIAL FIGURES, AND MUST BE VIEWED AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF ESCALATING PRESSURES FROM OTHER SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEEDS ON OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES. THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO FULFIL THE AMBITIOUS EDUCATIONAL TARGETS SET OUT IN THIS PAPER. BUT IT HAS TO BE ACCEPTED THAT THEIR FULFILMENT MUST BE SUBJECT TO A RECULAR REVIEW OF THE OVERALL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT AND OF THE SHARE OF THEM WHICH PROPERLY CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE WHITE PAPER SAID.
IT WILL BE APPRECIATED THEREFORE THAT TOTALLY FREE EDUCATION IN JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE FINANCIALLY ACCEPTABLE AT THIS STAGE. BUT THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT NO CHILD SHOULD BE DENIED A SECONDARY PLACE SOLELY BECAUSE HIS PARENTS ARE UNABLE TO PAY SCHOOL FEES.
+ IT IS, THEREFORE, INTENDED THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEN OF FEE REMISSION WILL CONTINUE FOR SO LONG AS THE GOVERNMENT IS UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE HIGH COST WHICH WOULD BE INVOLVED IN MAKING SECONDARY EDUCATION WHOLLY FREE,+ THE DOCUMENT EMPHASISED.
/ABOLITION