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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1977
FOUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR TUEN MUN
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TUEN MUN WILL HAVE FOUR NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS COSTING $23 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID POPULATION GROWTH OF THE NEW TOWN, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY.
OFFICIATING AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF WORK CEREMONY OF THE MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN TUEN MUN, VR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE TOWN BY 1980.
HE POINTED OUT THAT WITH FOUR EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOLS SERVING THE CURRENT POPULATION OF 50,000, THERE WERE PLACES NOW FOR MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF LOCAL CHILDREN AGED BETWEEN 12 AND 14.
SO THE COMPLETION OF THE MARDEN CARITAS SCHOOL WOULD MEAN THAT EVERY CHILD BETWEEN 12 AND 14 WOULD BE ASSURED OF A SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACE.
HE ADDED: THIS IS EXACTLY IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY AND IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO MAINTAIN THIS MATCHING OF FACILITIES IN THE NEW TOWN WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH.
+PLANS AND FUNDING FOR WORK ON YET ANOTHER FOUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BEGIN IN 1978 AT A COST OF $23 MILLION HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
+WHEN THESE SCHOOLS ARE COMPLETED IN 1990, THERE WILL BE 130,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN TUEN MUN, NEARLY THREE TIMES THE PRESENT POPULATION.+
MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THAT WHILE IN GENERAL TERMS, SCHOOLS WHICH PLACED A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION WERE NO LONGER A SPECIFIC PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME, THE MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS SCHOOL WOULD BE WELCOME IN THE YOUNG NEW TOWN.
HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE SOME TIME BEFORE TUEN MUN HAD GROWN SUFFICIENTLY TO PROVIDE A DIVERSITY OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, BUT WITH 10 FACTORIES COMPLETED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND ANOTHER SEVENTEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THERE WOULD BE NO SHORTAGE OF EMPLOYMENT.
MR. JOHN MARDEN, WHO GAVE THE WELCOMING ADDRESS AT THE CEREMONY, SAID THAT HE AND HIS WIFE HAD SET UP THE MARDEN FOUNDATION! EARLY IN 1972 TO CONTRIBUTE MORE DIRECTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A EALANCED EDUCATION SYSTEM IN HONG KONG.
THE FOUNDATION WOULD BE SPONSORING THREE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
THE ONE AT TUEN MUN, AND TWO CTHERS
TO BE MANAGED BY CARITAS AT SHA TIN AND CHAF WAN,
/HE SAID