TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1979
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THREE DECADES OF EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT
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THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENT OVER THE
LAST THREE DECADES OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG WAS THE SUBJECT OF A SPEECH BY MR. COLVYN HAYE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST TODAY (TUESDAY).
+WHEN HONG KONG WAS LIBERATED FROM THE JAPANESE IN 1945, ENROLMENT IN SCHOOLS WAS UNDER 50,000. SCHOOL BUILDINGS LAY IN RUINS, EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN DESTROYED, TEXTBOOKS WERE ALMOST NON-EXISTENT AND, WORST OF ALL, THERE WAS A DEARTH OF TRAINED TEACHERS.
+THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS LABORIOUS AND DIFFICULT. THE BUDGET FOR EDUCATION IN 1946 WAS $6.4 MILLION, MOST OF IT COMMITTED TO REHABILITATION OF SCHOOLS.
+TODAY THE BILL FOR EDUCATION STANDS AT $1,967 MILLION. THIS REPRESENTS 19.2 PER CENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TOTAL ANNUAL EXPENDITURE. THERE ARE NOW NEARLY 2,600 SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG, WITH ABOUT 1.4 MILLION PUPILS, MR. HAYE SAID.
TRACING THE HISTORY OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, MR. HAYE DESCRIBED THE HUGE GOVERNMENT BUILDING PROGRAMMES OF THE 50'S, AT THE PEAK OF WHICH ABOUT 45,000 PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES WERE ADDED EACH YEAR, THE EXTENSION OF EDUCATION THROUGH THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN THE 60'S AND '70'S TO ASSURE ALL CHILDREN OF THE APPROPRIATE AGE GROUP FREE EDUCATION FOR NINE YEARS, AND THE TARGET FOR THE '80'S OF FURTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR VIRTUALLY ALL WHO WANTED IT.
+WITH QUANTITATIVE TARGETS IN THE FOREFRONT OF EDUCATIONAL PLANNERS' MINDS, QUALITY IN EDUCATION WAS NOT FORGOTTEN+ MR. HAYE SAID.
IF THE FIRST PRIORITY WAS TO GET AS MANY CHILDREN INTO SCHOOLS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, THE NEXT WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED WAS THE BEST HONG KONG COULD AFFORD, HE SAID.
+TEACHER TRAINING WAS IMPROVED AND COURSES LENGTHENED, GREATER RESOURCES WERE POURED INTO CLASSROOMS OF SCHOOLS OF IMPROVED DESIGN, THE CURRICULUM WAS LIBERALISED, THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS EASED, AND HONG KONG LED SOUTHEAST ASIA IN THE HARNESSING OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE CLASSROOM TEACHING, MR. HAYE SAID.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, MR. HAYE SAID PRIVATE INITIATIVES HAD MET THE ASPIRATIONS OF MANY IN THE LAST TWO DECADES.
*THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE NON-PROFIT- MAKING BODIES HAS NOT PRECLUDED PRIVATE INDEPENDENT BODIES MEETING SHORTFALLS IN AREAS OF NEED, HE SAID.
EDUCATIONAL PLANNERS, HOWEVER, WERE FAR FROM COMPLACENT, HAYE ADDED, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE RESULT WAS THE BEST THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE WITHIN OUR RESOURCES. THE SYSTEM WAS NOT PERFECT.
+THERE IS STILL PROGRESS TO BE MADE, AND TO THIS PROGRESS THE GOVERNMENT IS DEDICATED, HE SAID.
MR.
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