WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1984,
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DEMAND FOR SCHOOL PLACES IN TUEN MUN WILL BE MET
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THE GOVERNMENT WILL MEET THE DEMAND FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL AND SPECIAL SCHOOL PLACES IN TUEN MUN BY 1990 BY ALLOCATING PUPILS TO SCHOOLS IN NEIGHBOURING DISTRICTS, IF NECESSARY, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY MRS PAULINE NG ON THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF CHILDREN OF SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE IN TUEN MUN BY 1990, THE PROVISION OF PLACES BY THEN, AND ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO COPE WITH ANY SHORTAGE.
THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF CHILDREN OF SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE IN TUEN MUN BY 1990 WAS 61 098, AND THE CURRENT FIGURES FOR PROVISION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES BY THEN STOOD AT 25 760. BUT MR HAYE EXPECTED THIS NUMBER WOULD BE EXCEEDED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT NOT ALL CHILDREN OF SCHOOL AGE 12 TO 18 WOULD DEMAND PLACES, PARTICULARLY THOSE OVER 15 YEARS OF AGE WHEN SCHOOLING WAS NO LONGER COMPULSORY.
+THE PLACES PLANNED FOR TUEN MUN BY 1990 WILL BE BASED ON SCHOOLS THAT ACTUALLY EXIST IN TUEN MUN AND WHICH WILL BE BUILT BETWEEN NOW AND 1990. ANY DEMAND IN EXCESS OF PLACES IN THESE SCHOOLS WILL BE MET BY ALLOCATION OF PUPILS TO NE IGHBOUR ING DISTRICTS, + THE DIRECTOR SAID.
REFERRING TO SPECIAL SCHOOL PLACES, MR HAYE SAID THE NUMBER OF SUCH PLACES PLANNED FOR TUEN MUN BY 1990 WAS 195 AND THE PROJECTED DEMAND IN THE DISTRICT BY THEN WAS 430.
THE SHORTFALL, HE SAID, WOULD BE SIMILARLY MET BY ALLOCATIONS TO SCHOOLS ELSEWHERE WITH VACANCIES FOR THE TYPE OF DISABILITY INVOLVED.
MR HAYE NOTED THAT THERE WERE SEVEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND DISABLED CHILDREN WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH TRANSPORT AND WITH BOARDING CARE WHERE NECESSARY.
EXPLAINING THE TERRITORY-WIDE ALLOCATION SYSTEM FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES, HE SAID THAT THERE IS A SYSTEM OF SCHOOL NETS WHICH ARE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY TO BALANCE DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF FORMI PLACES IN EACH DISTRICT BY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE POSITION IN NE IGHBOUR ING DISTRICTS,
+SELECTION AND ALLOCATION INVARIABLY SEEKS THE GREATEST CONVENIENCE TO PUP ILS IN THAT WE DO NOT ASK THEM TO TRAVEL MUCH FURTHER THAN THE IR NEIGHBOURHOOD UNLESS THEY PARTICULARLY WISH TO DO SO AND PLACES ARE AVAILABLE TO MATCH THEIR WISH, BEARING IN MIND THE AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT. +
+ IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET EVERY DISTRICT DEMAND WITH NEIGHBOURHOOD SCHOOLS UNTIL THE PRESENT POLICY OF TERRITORY-WIDE ALLOCATION IS ABANDONED, HE ADDED.
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