XN000022-1976-12-02 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1976

GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE BUILDING MORE SCHOOLS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO BUILD MORE SCHOOLS WHEN THE CURRENT BUILDING PROGRAMME OF A TOTAL OF 83 SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY 1981, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (DEVELOPMENT), MR. DEREK HOGAN, SAID THIS AFTERNOON.

ADDRESSING THE GATHERING AT THE SPEECH DAY OF HO LAP COLLEGE IN SAN PO KONG, MR. HOGAN SAID THERE WOULD BE A SUBSIDISED PLACE IN A THREE-YEAR SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE FOR EVERY PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVER BY SEPTEMBER 1978.

+HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE SUBSIDISED PLACES IN FORMS 4 AND 5 FOR ONLY 29 PER CENT OF THE 15-16 AGE GROUP. OUR NEXT TARGET, THEREFORE, WILL BE TO BRING THIS FIGURE UP TO THE WHITE PAPER TARGET OF 40 PER CENT,+ HE SAID,

+THIS WILL BE DONE BY ADDING STILL MORE SCHOOLS TO THE BUILDING PROGRAMME,+

HO LAP COLLEGE WAS ONE OF MANY SCHOOLS WHICH HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF SPONSORING BODIES AND THE GOVERNMENT IN THEIR EFFORTS TO MEET HONG KONG'S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

+HONG KONG HAS INDEED SOME VERY GREAT PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION. AS YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG HAS GROWN VERY RAPIDLY SINCE THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR,+ MR. HOGAN POINTED OUT.

+THIS HAS CREATED A VERY GREAT DEMAND FOR EDUCATION OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, PARTICULARLY AS IT IS A VERY YOUNG POPULATION, AS YOU CAN SEE IF YOU LOOK AROUND YOU IN THE STREETS, HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRST PRIORITY IN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM, HE CONTINUED, WAS TO AIM AT PROVIDING PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN.

+THIS AIM, + MR. HOGAN SAID, +HAS NOW BEEN ACHIEVED AND SINCE 1971 WE HAVE HAD FREE, AIDED PRIMARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG. AFTER THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THIS AIM THE GOVERNMENT WAS ABLE TO DEVOTE MORE RESOURCES TO SECONDARY EDUCATION. +

THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT HO LAP COLLEGE, A RELATIVELY YOUNG SCHOOL, REGARDED EDUCATION AS SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST THE PURSUIT OF EXAMINATION RESULTS.

IT WAS MOST ENCOURAGING TO LEARN THAT THE PUPILS OF THE SCHOOL HAD TAKEN AN INTEREST IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO WHICH THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES ATTACHED IMPORTANCE.

+I REGARD SUCH ACTIVITIES AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT IN THE LIFE OF A SCHOOL SINCE THEY HELP TO DEVELOP PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER AND HELP THE PUPILS TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM,+ MR. HOGAN ADDED.

DURING THE CEREMONY, MRS. HOGAN DISTRIBUTED CERTIFICATES AND PRIZES.

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