XN000022-1976-05-13 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1976

MORE FORM 1 PLACES TO BE ALLOCATED

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ABOUT 62,400 FORM 1 PLACES ARE TO BE ALLOCATED TO CANDIDATES WHO TOOK THE RECENT SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (EXAMINATIONS), MR. BASIL BOARD SAID TO-DAY.

+THIS MEANS THAT ANOTHER 13,900 PUPILS WILL GAIN FORM 1 PLACES, COMPARED WITH 48,554 PLACES ALLOCATED IN 1975, + HE SAID.

OUT OF THE TOTAL OF 62,400 FORM 1 PLACES, 39,300 ARE THREE-YEAR AND 23,100 ARE FIVE-YEAR PLACES.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHITE PAPER POLICY, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL THREE-YEAR PLACES ARE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THE REMAINDER OF THE ADDITIONAL THREE-YEAR PLACES WILL BE +BOUGHT IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

MR. BOARD SAID THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THREE-YEAR PLACES AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION THIS YEAR SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 32 PER CENT AND THAT FOR FIVE-YEAR PLACES WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF AT LEAST 22 PER CENT. THE OVERALL INCREASE IS ABOUT 28-1/2 PER CENT.

HE TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT LISTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THE PARENTS' CHOICE OF SCHOOLS FORMS WERE BEING ISSUED TO ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PARENTS OF CANDIDATES WHO SAT THE RECENT SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION.

MR. BOARD EXPLAINED THAT CANDIDATES ALLOCATED THE ADDITIONAL TYPE OF THREE-YEAR PLACES WILL RECEIVE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION (I.E. F.1/M.1 TO F.3/M.3) IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS. ON COMPLETION OF THE THREE YEARS' COURSE, THESE PUPILS WILL NOT NORMALLY BE ABLE TO PROCEED TO F.4/M.4 IN THE SAME SCHOOL OR IN ANY OTHER SCHOOL OR IN ANY OTHER SCHOOL OF THIS TYPE. PARENTS SHOULD TAKE THIS POINT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN MAKING THEIR CHOICES.

EACH OF THE GOVERNMENT OR AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS OFFERING FIVE-YEAR PLACES AS WELL AS THREE-YEAR PLACES HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOL CODES FOR IDENTIFICATION. PARENTS SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE PUT DOWN THE CORRECT SCHOOL CODE. THESE PLACES, LIKE THE THREE-YEAR ASSISTED PLACES IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, ARE FOR CANDIDATES PLACED IN THE 'Y' BLOCKS. (BUT ANY BLOCK 'X' CANDIDATES WHOSE PARENTS HAVE INCLUDED ANY GOVERNMENT OR AIDED THREE-YEAR PLACES INTO THEIR FIRST TEN CHOICES MAY ALSO BE ALLOCATED SUCH PLACES- AND ANY RESIDUAL PLACES AT THE END OF BLOCK 'Y' MAIN ALLOCATION WILL BE OFFERED TO THE REST OF THE CANDIDATES, BEARING IN MIND THEIR RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS AND TYPES OF SCHOOL PREFERRED.)

ANY CANDIDATES ALLOCATED THESE GOVERNMENT AND AIDED THREE-YEAR PLACES WHO SEEK TRANSFER TO PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH THREE-YEAR ASSISTED PLACES WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO SCHOOL FEE ASSISTANCE IF ADMITTED TO SUCH PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

/THE TOTAL

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