XN000022-1974-10-16 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1974.

THREE YEARS ASSISTED SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL BY 1979

EDUCATION WHITE PAPER TABLED IN LEGCO

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EVERY CHILD IN HONG KONG IS TO BE PROVIDED WITH SUBSIDISED SECONDARY EDUCATION UP FROM FORM 1 TO FORM 3 IN THE SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, ANNOUNCED TODAY.

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+ IF CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS ARE FULFILLED, THIS COULD BE AS EARLY AS 1979 A MUCH SHORTER TIME THAN THAT ENVISAGED IN THE ORIGINAL GREEN PAPER ON EDUCATION,+ HE TOLD THE OPENING SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+BY THAT DATE,+ SIR MURRAY SAID, +IT IS JUDGED POSSIBLE TO TRAIN THE EXTRA TEACHERS REQUIRED" BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THE NUMBER OF NEW SCHOOLS NECESSARY

IF SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE TO BE UNI-SESSIONAL, BECAUSE THE MONEY IS NOT AVAILABLE TO BUILD SCHOOLS FOR ALL THE PLACES REQUIRED IN THE TIME, NOR, IF IT WERE, WOULD IT BE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE TO DO SO.+

THE GOVERNOR WAS OUTLINING SOME OF THE MAIN FEATURES IN THE WHITE PAPER ON SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG DURING THE NEXT DECADE WHICH WAS TABLED IN COUNCIL TODAY.

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THE WHITE PAPER ENVISAGES THAT SUFFICIENT PLACES WILL BE PROVIDED BY 1979 IN FORMS 1 TO 3 FOR 100 PER CENT OF THE 12-14 AGE GROUP AND FOR 40 PER CENT OF THE 15-16 ACE GROUP IN FORMS 4 AND 5.

THE GOVERNOR SAID: +THE OBJECTIVE IS PROVISION OF ASSISTED SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL, BUT UNLESS MANY CHILDREN ARE TO BE. DENIED THIS FOR MANY MORE YEARS THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD DURING WHICH THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS WE HAVE AND CAN CONSTRUCT ARE USED MUCH MORE INTENSIVELY THAN AT PRESENT.+

AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE, HE EXPLAINED, THE WHITE PAPER PROPOSED FLOTATION COUPLED WITH AN EXTENDED DAY SYSTEM SO AS TO MAXIMISE ENROLMENTS IN EXISTING SCHOOLS UNTIL THE BUILDING PROGRAMME OVERTAKES THE SCHOOL POPULATION.

WHILE HE REALISED THAT THIS WAS NOT AN IDEAL SOLUTION, THE GOVERNOR FELT IT TO BE+A REALISTIC COMPROMISE BETUREN THE OVER-RIDING REQUIREMENT FOR IMMEDIATE SPEED, AND THE EVENTUAL IDEAL SOLUTION OF UNI-SESSIONAL SECONDARY EDUCATION.+

THE GOVERNOR WENT ON TO COMMENT ON THE DECISION TO DROP THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE GREEN PAPER TO MAKE ONE-FIFTH OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS PREVOCATIONAL AND INSTEAD TO MAKE 20-25 PER CENT OF THE CURRICULUM OF ALL JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS PRACTICAL/TECHNICAL.

THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE VALUE OF PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND WOULD CONTINUE TO ASSIST ALL THOSE IN EXISTENCE, HE SAID, BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED WRONG IN PRINCIPLE THAT A GENERAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE BASED ON A SEPARATION OF CHILDREN AT THE EARLY AGE OF 11-1/2 OR 12 YEARS INTO THOSE WHO WOULD RECEIVE PREVOCATIONAL AND THOSE WHO WOULD RECEIVE GRAMMAR SCHOOL SECONDARY EDUCATION.

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+FIE CHIEFE