CO129-581-6 Government grants to vernacular schools 30-1-1939 - 6-2-1940 — Page 13

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Grant. None is entirely satisfactory for all schools, owing to the very different needs of the different types of schools. After much discussion, the Heads of Grant Schools have agreed upon the following scheme, as being suitable for the large majority of the schools concerned. This is approximately the system in use in Scotland, and embodies the principles of the Report.

Scheme A. Grant to be assessed, partly on the salaries paid to teachers partly on rent or depreciation, and partly on the average attendance

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1. The scales of salaries for teachers (not religious) in Grant in

Aid schools to be those proposed in the Report, with the proviso for European teachers in No. 6 above.

2.

3.

With regard to the salaries of religious teachers, these should be on the same scale as those of similarly qualified European (or Chinese) teachers; the actual scale paid to be fixed once for all by the Religious Superior, subject to the approval of the Director of Education.

The Government grant to be based on one-third to one-half of these salaries, the remainder to be paid by the school.

The rent grant, for the purposes of calculating the Block Grant, to be:-

(a) In respect of premises not owned by the School Authorities

one-half of the approved rent actually paid.

(b) In respect of premises owned by the School Authorities,2%

of the capital value of the building. This valuation of the school premises to be made every five years by a Government valuer, depreciation to be written off during the intervening years at 5% per annum.

The Capitation grant to be 12 dollars per pupil per annum, based on the estimated average attendance, to be awarded subject to the same conditions and regulations as at present.

A Grant approximating to the total of these three figures to be the Block Grant for the following triennium.

Scheme B. However, owing to the very great diversity of Grant in Aid Schools in Hong Kong, this scheme has proved unsatisfactory to certain schools. For these, the following scheme, using the basis of the Government Report, is suggested:-

The Report offers an increased Government Grant to improve the standard of the teachers and their living conditions, and a Grant towards a rebuilding fund or rent grant (in addition to the present fifty per cent grant for approved new buildings).

It is possible to assess approximately the additional grant necessitated by these proposals. This figure, added to the average grant of the past three years, could be taken as the Block Grant for the years 1940, 41, 42 with the proviso re salaries already made/