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SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1976
OPENING OF NEW JAPANESE SCHOOL BUILDING
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THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY IS AMONG THE NATIONAL GROUPS IN HONG KONG WHICH HAVE ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN SO THAT ON THEIR RETURN TO THE IR MOTHERLAND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIT INTO THEIR OWN NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID THIS AFTERNOON.
MR. TOPLEY WAS SPEAKING AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING OF THE HONG KONG JAPANESE SCHOOL, 157 BLUEPOOL ROAD.
THE SCHOOL, BUILT ON A 28,000 SQ. FT. SITE AT THE TOP OF THE ROAD, HAS 19 CLASSROOMS, SIX SPECIAL ROOMS AND MANY OTHER .ANCILLARY FACILITIES. IT ALSO HAS A SWIMMING POOL. AT PRESENT THE SCHOOL HAS AN ENROLMENT OF SOME 600 PUPILS.
THE SCHOOL WAS REGISTERED WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN 1966 AND IN THE BEGINNING IT CONSISTED OF ONLY SIX CLASSROOMS IN TOWER COURT AT HYSAN AVENUE.
WITH AN INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY THE SCHOOL FIRST EXPANDED TO HAPPY VIEW TERRACE AT BROADWOOD ROAD AND THEN TO YUN PING ROAD,
BUT THE ADDED SPACE AND FACILITIES DID NOT PROVIDE THE ENVIRONMENT THE SCHOOL BOARD WISHED JAPANESE CHILDREN TO STUDY IN. IN 1973 LAND WAS OBTAINED FOR THE BUILDING OF A NEW SCHOOL WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO A TYPICAL PRIVATE SCHOOL IN JAPAN.
TO ENSURE A TRULY JAPANESE EDUCATION, THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS EMPLOYED ADMINISTRATIVE AND TEACHING STAFF FROM JAPAN,
CONCLUDING WITH A FEW WORDS IN JAPANESE, MR. TOPLEY SAID HE WAS SURE THE SCHOOL WOULD CERTAINLY PROGRESS WITH HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND HE OFFERED HIS HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE ENTIRE JAPANESE COMMUNITY.
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