XN000022-1977-08-31 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1977

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IMPROVES CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

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CONTACTS AND CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND SUPERVISORS, HEADS OF SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS, WILL BE FURTHER IMPROVED WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOLS DIVISION TOMORROW.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY ON THE EVE OF THE NEW ACADEMIC

YEAR, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. COLVYN HAYE, SAID THE NEW SCHOOLS DIVISION WOULD REPLACE THE EXISTING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DIVISIONS AND BE HEADED BY AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MR. LAM TAT-LAU.

THE ENLARGED DIVISION WILL HAVE ITS HEAD OFFICE IN THE DEPARTMENT'S HEADQUARTERS. IT WILL HAVE THREE REGIONAL OFFICES, THE HEADS OF WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION OF KINDERGARTENS, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THREE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

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THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF THE REGIONAL OFFICES WILL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF SCHOOLS IN THE IR REGIONS.

MR. ALEC REEVE WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE HONG KONG OFFICE, MR. TERRY T.L. CHENG THE KOWLOON OFFICE AND MR. DAVID C.S. LEÚNG THE NEW TERRITORIES OFFICE.

THE HONG KONG OFFICE IS ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF LEE GARDENS, HYSAN AVENUE, CAUSEWAY BAY, THE ONE IN KOWLOON ON THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH FLOORS OF THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 405 NATHAN ROAD AND THE NEW TERRITORIES OFFICE ON THE NINTH FLOOR OF THE CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 393 CANTON ROAD, KOWLOON.

THE MERGER OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DIVISIONS INTO A SCHOOLS DIVISION IS TO ENABLE UNIFIED REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION OF KINDERGARTENS, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOVERNMENT SECONDARY, PREVOCATIONAL, ENGLISH-SPEAKING AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO BE ADMINSTERED AND SUPERVISED IN THE HEAD OFFICE AS AT PRESENT.

THE MERGER HAS MATERIALISED AS A RESULT OF THE EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE INTRODUCTION OF NINE YEARS SUBSIDISED EDUCATION - SIX YEARS OF FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION FOLLOWED BY THREE YEARS OF SUBSIDISED SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR EVERY CHILD THE ABOLITION OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, THE INTRODUCTION OF A SCHOOL NET SYSTEM AND THE ESTABLISHMENT SHORTLY OF DISTRICT COUNCILS.

A CIRCULAR HAS BEEN SENT TO THE HEADS OF ALL SCHOOLS NOTIFYING THEM OF THE CREATION OF THE SCHOOLS DIVISION AND GIVING THEM DETAILS OF THE REORGANISATION.

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