XN000022-1973-10-17 — Page 25

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Wednesday, October 17, 1973

"In keeping with this the Board also recommends that the early years

of secondary education should as far as possible be based on a common core of

instruction irrespective of the type of school," the Governor said.

Regarding the invitation to the Board to advise on the extent to

which secondary education should be free, Sir Murray said the Board concluded

that "in the present circumstances of Hong Kong there is no compelling need

at present to provide free education in the lower secondary ranges for those

able to pay the highly subsidized fees. The Board nevertheless recommended

that the possibility of free education should be kept under regular review."

He said the Beard endorsed existing government policy that no child

should be denied a place in a government or assisted secondary school on

financial grounds.

The report concluded that within the present fee structure and fee

remission scheme there was already adequate provision to ensure this ain.

The Governor was extremely grateful to the Board for the work done

by members. "It is most reassuring to have this corpus of expert opinion

as a basis for planning the further expansion of secondary education."

The government, Sir Murray said, "propuses to follow a similar

procedure with this report as with that on the five-year plan for Social

Welfare last year. It will table the report in this Council forthwith as a

Green Paper."

The public and interested bodies will be allowed an adequate period

to comment after Councillors had expressed their views.

In the light of this discussion, the Governor said, "a White Paper

will be submitted for consideration by the Executive and Legislative Councils

embodying the final phased plan for reaching our targets.

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