SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1980
CS TO OPEN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN SHA TIN
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THE FIRST PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN WILL BE OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 18).
THIS IS THE SECOND PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL TO BE SPONSORED BY THE MARDEN FOUNDATION IN NEW TOWNS. THE FIRST WAS OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, IN TUEN MUN LAST YEAR.
THE MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN SHA TIN, STARTED OPERATION IN SEPTEMBER 1979, IN BORROWED PREMISES AT WO CHE ESTATE AND MOVED TO ITS PRESENT PREMISES AT THE START OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, IT NOW HAS AN ENROLMENT OF 640 BUT THIS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO OVER 1 000 AS SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS ARE OPENED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
MOST OF ITS STUDENTS ARE FROM SHA TIN AND THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH JUST OVER 10 PER CENT FROM NORTH KOWLOON.
THE SCHOOL HAS 14 CLASSROOMS, 10 WORKSHOPS, 11 SPECIAL ROOMS PLUS A HOST OF ANCILLARY FACILITIES. THE CAPITAL COST AMOUNTED TO $17 MILLION OF WHICH $7 MILLION WAS CONTRIBUTED BY THE MARDEN FOUNDATION AND THE REST FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.
APART FROM THE BASIC GENERAL SUBJECTS IN THE SECONDARY CURRICULUM, THE SCHOOL OFFERS SUCH PRACTICAL SUBJECTS AS ENGINEERING METALWORK, ELECTRICAL STUDIES, WOODWORK, COMMERCIAL AND RETAILING, AS WELL AS FOOD AND RELATED HOTEL SERVICES.
THE POPULARITY OF PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS REFLECTED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE SCHOOL. IN 1979/80 THE SCHOOL RECEIVED 750 APPLICATIONS FOR ITS FORM I PLACES AND FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR 960 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. OF THESE, TWO-THIRDS HAD TO BE REJECTED.
TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLANS TO ESTABLISH 12 MORE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS FROM 1982 AT A TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF $200 MILLION AT CURRENT PRICES.
THE 13 EXISTING PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH NOW ONLY OPERATE CLASSES UP TO FORM 3 WILL BE INTRODUCING SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS FROM SEPTEMBER 1981.
WITH THE EXTENSION TO SENIOR SECONDARY FORMS, THIS WILL ENABLE THE MORE CAPABLE STUDENTS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION IN THEIR OWN OR OTHER PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS UP TO THE CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION LEVEL AND THEN PROCEED DIRECTLY TO TECHNICIAN PROGRAMMES IN THE POLYTECHNIC OR THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES,+ AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
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