THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1977
PLANNING OF NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS
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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (DEVELOPMENT), MR. DEREK HOGAN, TODAY OUTLINED THE STEPS REQUIRED TO PUT TOGETHER AN EDUCATION BUILDING PROGRAMME. THESE INCLUDED PLANNING THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF SCHOOLS NEEDED, THE IR LOCATION, DESIGN AND FINANCING.
HE WAS ADDRESSING THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON.
MR. HOGAN RECALLED THE MASSIVE BUILDING PROGRAMMES OF THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES WHICH RAISED THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY PLACES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS TO OVER 600,000.
TURNING TO THE PRESENT SITUATION, MR. HOGAN REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO THE NEEDS OF THE NEW TOWNS WHERE MANY SCHOOLS WOULD BE BUILT IN THE COMING YEARS. IN MOST CASES THESE SCHOOLS WILL BE BUILT AS PART OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE CONTRACTS THUS PRODUCING ECONOMIES OF TIME AND MONEY. THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THEMSELVES, HOWEVER, WOULD HAVE A HIGH STANDARD OF ACCOMMODATION, WITH MORE AND LARGER SPECIAL ROOMS THAN THE STANDARD SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
THE CURRENT PROGRAMME OF 83 SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BE BUILT BETWEEN APRIL 1976 AND SEPTEMBER 1981, HE SAID, WOULD PRODUCE A TOTAL OF 94,000 ADDITIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES.
ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF PROVIDING A GOVERNMENT OR AIDED PRIMARY PLACE FOR EVERY CHILD HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED, HE SAID, THERE REMAINED A NEED FOR A PRIMARY SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE FOR CHILDREN GOING TO LIVE IN NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES IN AREAS OF SHORTAGE.
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1977/78 CONTA INED TEN ESTATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. THE OPENING OF THESE NEW CLASSES OR SCHOOLS WOULD BE BALANCED, HE POINTED OUT, BY CLOSURES ELSEWHERE.
PLANNING FOR THE NEXT SECONDARY SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME WAS ALREADY WELL ADVANCED, HE SAID. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAMME WOULD BE TO PROVIDE PLACES IN FORMS IV AND V FOR 40 PER CENT OF CHILDREN IN THE 15-16 AGE GROUP. THIS WAS ONE OF THE 1974 WHITE PAPER AIMS.
MR. HOGAN EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE USE MADE OF SCHOOLS AFTER THEY HAD BEEN BUILT. HERE THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PREFESSIONAL QUALITIES OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENTS AND TEACHERS WERE VITAL.
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