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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1975

ONLY TEN PER CENT OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN NOT AT SCHOOL

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ENROLMENT FIGURES SHOW THAT 10 PER CENT OF CHILDREN IN THE 12-14 AGE GROUP ARE NOT AT SCHOOL, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON NEWSPAPER REPORTS ON THE CLAIM MADE BY THE H.K. CHRISTIAN COUNCIL THAT NEARLY 170,000 CHILDREN IN THIS AGE BRACKET ARE WITHOUT EDUCATION.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IN MARCH 1975 THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THIS AGE GROUP ATTENDING FULL TIME PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS STOOD AT 290,102 AND ANOTHER 9,301 WERE ATTENDING NIGHT SCHOOLS.

THE ESTIMATED POPULATION IN THE 12-14 AGE GROUP IS 331,900.

+THIS SHOWS THAT SOME 32,500 CHILDREN OF THIS AGE GROUP ARE NOT IN SCHOOL. THEREFORE THE STATEMENT THAT 100,000 CHILDREN AGED 12-14 ARE WITHOUT EDUCATION IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG AND THE STATEMENT THAT 100,000 YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT RECEIVING SECONDARY EDUCATION IS DECIDEDLY MISLEADING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

YOUTH CENTRE'S ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY

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TOMORROW (SATURDAY) MARKS THE ELEVENTH YEAR IN WHICH THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S SHAM SHUI PO YOUTH CENTRE HAS BEEN OPERATING.

TO COMMEMORATE THE OCCASION, AN EXHIBITION ON THE YOUTH CENTRE'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE HELD AT THE CENTRE ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF 88 YU CHAU STREET, KOWLOON.

LATER THAT EVENING BEGINNING AT 8 P.M., A FORMAL CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE AT WHICH THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES, TROPHIES AND SOUVENIRS TO VOLUNTARY INSTRUCTORS WHO HAVE WORKED WITH THE CENTRE.

OFFICIATING WILL BE MR. HENRY AU, SENIOR PRINCIPAL SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER- MR. CHAN SUI-JEUNG, Č.D.O. SHAM SHUI PO AND MR. CHAN KIM-FOR, CHAIRMAN OF THE SHAM SHUI PO KAIFONG ASSOCIATION.

THE CEREMONY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A VARIETY SHOW PERFORMED BY VARIOUS GROUPS BELONGING TO THE CENTRE.

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