XN000022-1975-10-03 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1975

FUTURE ROLE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS

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PRIVATE SCHOOLS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE 16TH ANNUAL SPEECH DAY OF THE KIANGSU-CHEKI ANG COLLEGE, MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT A NUMBER OF THE JUNIOR

SECONDARY PLACES REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FOR THE 12-14 AGE GROUP WOULD BE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THIS WOULD BE SO FOR SOME TIME.

+SECONDLY, PRIVATE SCHOOLS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A VERY USEFUL PUBLIC SERVICE BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES FOR FORM 3 LEAVERS WHO CANNOT BE CATERED FOR BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

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+THIRDLY IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PARENTS WHO PREFER TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HE ADDED.

GIVING AN EXAMPLE, MR. TOPLEY POINTED OUT THAT OF THE SOME 680,000 PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS LAST YEAR, ABOUT ONE- SIXTH WERE IN FACT STUDYING IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SUFFICIENT FREE PLACES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR EVERY CHILD WHO WISHED TO GO THERE.

IT WAS UNFORTUNATE, HE SAID, THAT THE RECESSION HAD PREVENTED HONG KONG FROM MOVING AS FAST AS HAD BEEN HOPED IN BUILDING NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND PROVIDING ADDITIONAL PLACES.

THE DIRECTOR PRAISED THE KIANGSU-CHEKI ANG.COLLEGE FOR THE EMPHASIS IT PLACED ON PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER TRAINING.

HE ALSO NOTED WITH GREAT INTEREST THAT THE COLLEGE WAS ONE OF THE VERY FEW SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG WHERE CHINESE SUBJECTS WERE TAUGHT THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF MANDARIN.

+ IN MY VIEW, THIS PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC OF THE COLLEGE IS WELL WORTH PRESERVING,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

CERTIFICATES WERE DISTRIBUTED BY MRS. TOPLEY TO GRADUATES OF THE COLLEGE.

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