8.
WEDBESDAY, MAY 7, 1975
THE MAXIMUM COMMITMENT TO AID THE UNASSISTED CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AT $25 PER HEAD A MONTH WOULD AMOUNT TO $41 MILLION EACH YEAR, HE SAID, AND THE MORE CAUTIOUS SCHEME PROPOSED BY MR. CHEONG-LEEN WOULD STILL INCUR ANNUAL COSTS OF $15 MILLION WHICH WOULD BE AN OPEN-ENDED COMMITMENT AND VERY DIFFICULT TO MONITOR.
+THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF MONEY WE CAN AFFORD NOW,+ SAID MR. TOPLEY.
+IF WE DO AS MY HONOURABLE FRIEND SUGGESTS WE WOULD ABSORB MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES, A LARGE PROPORTION OF WHICH WE COULD NOT EASILY RE-DIRECT TO THE WHITE PAPER PLAN WHEN THE TIME COMES TO IMPLEMENT IT.+
MR. TOPLEY SAID HE HAD NO WISH TO DENIGRATE MR. CHEONG-LEEN'S PROPOSALS. +OUR INTENTION UNDER THE WHITE PAPER PROPOSALS IS TO OFFER THREE YEARS SECONDARY EDUCATION TO EVERYONE BY DRAWING AS MANY AS POSSIBLE INTO THE AIDED SECTOR AND BUYING PLACES FOR THE REST IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. BUT LACK OF MONEY, HE ADDED, HAD HELD UP ACTION.
MR. TOPLEY SAID THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT ENROLMENTS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS WERE FALLING, IN FACT, ENROLMENT FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER 1974 SHOW AN INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT OVER THOSE OF SEPTEMBER 1973. ALTHOUGH I WOULD CERTAINLY AGREE THAT MANY PARENTS MAY HAVE HARD TIME PAYING PRIVATE SCHOOL FEES.
HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE PRIVATE TRUST FUNDS AVAILABLE TO AID CHILDREN IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SOME CHILDREN WERE SPONSORED FROM THESE FUNDS. MR. TOPLEY APPEALED FOR ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO HELP EXTEND THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
+1 WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO MAKE AN EXTENTION OF THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE POSSIBLE. + HE SAID.
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