18
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1980
$2 943 MILLION TO BE SPENT ON EDUCATION IN 1980-81
*****
THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND $2 943 MILLION ON EDUCATION IN 1980-81 REPRESENTING 16.3 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR,
THIS WAS STATED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH TODAY.
REVIEWING ACHIEVEMENTS IN EDUCATION, SIR PHILIP SAID THE PROVISION OF PLACES IN JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS FOR ALL CHILDREN IN THE 12-14 AGE GROUP WILL BE FULLY ACHIEVED IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.
TUITION FEES AT JUNIOR SECONDARY LEVEL WERE ABOLISHED, FOLLOWED BY THE ABOLITION OF TONG FAI AND SIMILAR CHARGES IN AIDED AND GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS WITH EFFECT FROM SEPTEMBER 1979.
AT THE SENIOR SECONDARY LEVEL THERE WILL BE IN THE COMING YEAR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PLACES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR FROM ABOUT 56 000 TO 64 000 THEREBY CATERING FOR 29 PER CENT OF THE 15-16 AGE GROUP.
THE PROPORTION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS WILL RISE TO 90 PER CENT BY SEPTEMBER 1983, BY WHICH TIME THE MAJORITY OF PRIVATE NON-PROFIT-MAKING SCHOOLS WILL HAVE COME ON TO FULL AID AND THE OPENING OF NEW SCHOOLS WILL PERMIT THE PHASING OUT OF THOSE BOUGHT PLACES WHICH ARE OF AN UNSATISFACTORY STANDARD, HE SAID.
SIR PHILIP SAID REVISED POPULATION PROJECTIONS HAVE NECESSITATED A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE SHORTFALL IN THE PROVISION OF NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES, AND THE BUILDING PROGRAMME HAS NOW BEEN EXPANDED TO 130 SCHOOLS OF WHICH 55 HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.
FIFTY-SIX NON-PROF IT-MAKING SCHOOLS COMMENCED THE CONVERSION PROCESS IN SEPTEMBER 1979 TO BECOME FULLY SUBSIDISED, AND THE DRAFT ESTIMATES INCLUDE $28.5 MILLION IN IMPROVEMENT GRANTS TO ENABLE THEM TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF EDUCATION PROVIDED IN THE IR JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS, SIR PHILIP SAID.
AT THE POST-SECONDARY LEVEL, AS A RESULT OF ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE BAPTIST AND LINGNAN COLLEGES, FUNDS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE OPENING OF COURSES AT THE SIXTH FORM LEVEL.
+A FURTHER $5 MILLION IS PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES TO ENABLE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF THESE COURSES PLUS THE OPENING OF NEW TWO-YEAR POST-FORM VI COURSES IN SEPTEMBER 1980, + HE ADDED.
HE SAID THAT IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY THAT NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL AN UNREASONABLE DISTANCE TO ATTEND PRIMARY SCHOOL, EIGHT NEW PRIMARY SCHOOLS PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL 12 960 PLACES, ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1980-81, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
IN THE
Page 20Page 21