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Wednesday, June 20, 1973.
DROP IN NUMBER OF PRIMARY "DROPOUTS"
There has been a small but significant decrease over the last
two years in the number of children dropping out of Primary 4, 5 and 6
classes.
The Director of Education, the Hon. J. Canning said today in
Legislative Council that he had instructed headmasters to ensure that all
children admitted to public primary schools should complete their six-year
course, and he would exercise compulsory powers when necessary.
However, he pointed out that the primary school wastage figures
were slightly exaggerated because they included the number of children
who left school due to overage or because they wished to enter another
school.
The real problem, he said, is to identify "on a school basis
the true drop-outs among the children who leave one school in order to
enter another."
Mr. Canning advised parents that slow-learning children did
not have to abandon their studies, as the Special Education Section of
his department could arrange for their placement in special schools or
classes.
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