SUNDAY, MAY 1, 1977
LATEST STATISTICS (SEPTEMBER 1976) SHOW THAT THERE ARE 231 PRIVATE SECONDARY DAY SCHOOLS - 77 NON-PROF IT-MAKING AND 154 INDEPENDENT. OF THESE, 95 ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE THREE-YEAR BOUGHT PLACES SCHEME. THIRTY-SIX OF THE 95 ARE NON-PROF IT-MAK ING SCHOOLS AND FIFTY-NINE ARE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE NON-PROFIT-MAKING PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS PROVIDE NEARLY HALF OF THE THREE-YEAR BOUGHT PLACES. THESE SCHOOLS RECEIVE GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF PER CAPUT GRANT.
ANOTHER 36 ASSISTED PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE ALSO NON- PROF IT-MAKING, WILL BECOME FULLY SUBSIDISED IN SEPTEMBER 1978. AT PRESENT THESE SCHOOLS RECEIVE SALARY AND CAPITATION GRANTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE IR FORM I STUDENTS PAY THE STANDARD FEE OF $40 PER MONTH.
IN ADDITION, THERE ARE FIVE OTHER ASSISTED PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THESE SCHOOLS ARE IN RECEIPT OF CLASSROOM ALLOWANCE AND SALARY SUPPLEMENTATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
MR. TOPLEY SAID HE WAS CARRYING OUT GOVERNMENT POLICY TO ENSURE THAT THE OVERALL POLICY AIMS IN THE EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION WERE ACHIEVED.
MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE NO SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION FROM 1978 ONWARDS, PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS COULD CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR INCLUSION IN THE BOUGHT PLACES+ SCHEME.
HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT THE POLICY OUTLINED IN THE 1974 WHITE PAPER WAS EVENTUALLY TO REDUCE THE EXTENT OF THE BUYING OF PLACES IN PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS THROUGH CONTINUATION OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME IN THE AIDED AND PRIVATE NON-PROFIT- MAKING SECTORS.
THE DIRECTOR RECALLED THAT IN 1970 WHEN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FIRST APPROVED THE PROPOSAL FOR THE BUYING OF PLACES AT FORMS TO III LEVEL, IT WAS STATED THAT THESE PLACES SHOULD BE BOUGHT IN SUITABLE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THUS INDICATING THAT SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE TO BE SELECTED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SCHEME. THUS, THE DEMAND THAT ALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS, IRRESPECTIVE OF STANDARDS, BE INCLUDED IN THE SCHEME COULD NOT BE ENTERTAINED. MR. TOPLEY STRESSED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WAS CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF USING PUBLIC FUNDS WISELY AND OF GUIDING PARENTS
IN THE CHOICE OF SCHOOLS.
MR. TOPLEY AGAIN STRESSED THAT HE PERSONALLY LOOKED FORWARD TO A CONTINUING DIALOUGE WITH THE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS AND THE IR ASSOCIATIONS TO MEET AND OVERCOME PROBLEMS AND DIFFERENCES. IN FACT, THE DIRECTOR PERSONALLY CHAIRS THE QUARTERLY MEETINGS OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATIONS ADVISORY BOARD,
ON APRIL 19, MR. TOPLEY HAD AN INFORMAL MEETING WITH MR. M.T. CHENG OF THE HONG KONG PRIVATE ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION, THIS FOLLOWED A LENGTHY MEETING ON APRIL 4 BETWEEN MR. CHENG AND THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (ADMINISTRATION), MR. BASIL BOARD.
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