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MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1976
GOVERNMENT'S SECONDARY EDUCATION EXPANSION PROGRAMME
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HONG KONG'S SECONDARY EDUCATION EXPANSION PROGRAMME PROVIDES FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE BUILDING BETWEEN APRIL 1976 AND SEPTEMBER 1981 OF 68 NEW SCHOOLS AND THE CREATION OF ANOTHER 13 NEW SCHOOLS AND TWO ANNEXES TO EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOLS BY CONVERTING 18 UNDER-UTILISED PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
THIS ADDS UP TO A TOTAL OF 83 SCHOOL PROJECTS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.
FORTY-EIGHT OF THESE, INCLUDING THE 15 CONVERTED PREMISES, ARE EXPECTED TO BE READY BY SEPTEMBER 1978. THE OTHER 35 NEW SCHOOLS WHICH WERE REFERRED TO BY THE GOVERNOR ON OCTOBER 6, ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 1981. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LATTER WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE COMING TWO YEARS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
ELABORATING FURTHER, THE SPOKESMA. STATED THAT THE TOTAL OF 83 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WOULD ULTIMATELY PROVIDE MORE THAN 73,200 PLACES IN FORMS 1 TO 3 WITH FLOTATION AND EXTENDED DAY CLASSES, OVER 16,900 PLACES IN FORMS 4 AND 5 AND NEARLY 1,900 PLACES IN FORM 6.
CLARIFYING MISLEADING STATEMENTS IN A NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS OVER THE WEEKEND CONCERNING THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BE CREATED BY CONVERTING UNDER-UTILISED PRIMARY SCHOOLS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT EIGHT OF THE CONVERTED PROJECTS WOULD BE FULLY AIDED SCHOOLS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. THIS MEANS THAT STUDENTS STUDYING IN THESE SCHOOLS WILL PAY STANDARD FEES. THE QUESTION OF BUYING PLACES IN THESE SCHOOLS DOES NOT THEREFORE ARISE,+ HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: +IT HAS BEEN THE POLICY SINCE THE 1965 WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION THAT ALL EXPANSION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR SHOULD BE THROUGH AIDED SCHOOLS WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
+ IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT EIGHT OF THE NEW SCHOOLS TO BE CREATED BY THE CONVERSION OF UNDER-UTILISED GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL PREMISES ARE TO BE OPERATED BY SPONSORING ORGANISATIONS EXPERIENCED IN RUNNING AIDED SCHOOLS.
+THE OTHER SEVEN ARE TO REMAIN WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS: SOME WILL BE LINKED TO EXISTING GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SOME ARE SITUATED WITHIN POLICE COMPOUNDS AND SOME INVOLVE COMMITMENTS TO DONORS.+
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