XN000022-1974-05-08 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1974.

STUDY ON POSSIBLE USE OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS

FOR SECONDARY EXPANSION PROGRAMME ******

A SURVEY IS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE HOW FAR IT IS FEASIBLE TO UTILISE VACANT ROOMS IN SUME PRIMARY SCHOOLS ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR THE SECUNDARY SCHOOL EXPANSION PROGRAMME.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. JOHN CANNING, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON WHEN HE REPLIED TO A QUESTION BY MR. SZETO VAI.

THE SURVEY WOULD ALSO LOOK INTO WHAT ALTERATIONS TO SCHOOLS WOULD BE NECESSARY.

+THE SECONDARY SCHOOL EXPANSION PROGRAMME HAS NOT YET BEEN FINALISED BUT THE RESULTS OF THIS SURVEY WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DETERMINING WHAT ADDITIONAL SCHOOL BUILDINGS WILL BE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW POLICY, MR. CANNING SAID.

BUT THE DIRECTOR SOUNDED A SLIGHT NOTE OF CAUTION BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT ANY VACANT PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHICH MIGHT BE USED FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PURPOSES UNDER THE NEW POLICY SHOULD BE PROPERLY ADAPTED OR CONVERTED, OTHERWISE HE FEARED THAT THESE SCHOOLS WOULD NOT PROVE EDUCATIONALLY ATTRACTIVE TO PARENTS, PUPILS OR TEACHERS.

WHEN CONSIDERING THIS PROBLEM, MR. CANNING SAID, + IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT WHILST THE PRIMARY SCHOOL POPULATION IS PROJECTED TO DECREASE UNTIL IT REACHES A LOW POINT OF 480,700 IN 1979; THEREAFTER IT WILL RISE TO REACH 717,400 BY 1991 WHICH IS WELL OVER THE 1970 PEAK OF 640,100, AND THAT THIS INCREASING TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE BEYOND THAT DATE.+

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VACANT PLACES CAN ARISE IN THREE WAYS, HE SAID.

FIRSTLY, THERE ARE VACANT ROOMS IN NEWLY OPENED SCHOOLS WHICH IN THE COURSE OF TIME WILL BECOME FULLY DEVELOPED.

+IT WOULD. CLEARLY BE IMPRUDENT TO TRY TO PLAN TO UTILISE THESE PLACES FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, + MR. CAMNING SAID.

SECUNDLY, THERE ARE SOME AREAS IN WHICH THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH CHILDREN TO FILL CLASSES WHICH MUST BE OPERATED. STEPS ARE TAKEN WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO MERGE CLASSES SO THAT THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN ACTUAL OPERATING CLASSES IS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

THIRDLY, VACANT ROOMS EXIST IN SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS, WHICH WERE BUILT TO CATER FOR A LARGER PRIMARY SCHOOL POPULATION THAN NOW LIVE WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE OF THEM.

SUCH SCHOOLS ARE MAINLY ON HONG KONG ISLAND OR IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE NUMBER OF ROOMS AVAILABLE IN EACH SCHOOL, VARIES CONSIDERABLY. IT IS THIS CATEGORY WHICH OFFERS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE USES, THE DIRECTOR SAID.

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