XN000022-1977-11-09 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1977

THESE THEMES WERE TAKEN UP BY THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. E.P. HO, WHEN DESCRIBING THE GREEN PAPER'S PROPOSALS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. HE EMPHASISED THAT THE POLICY PUT FORWARD IN THE GREEN PAPER WAS THAT +EXPANSION SHOULD BE KEPT AT A PACE THAT WILL ENABLE ADMISSION STANDARDS TO BE MAINTAINED, GOOD QUALITY

FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED, AND TERTIARY EDUCATION GRADUATES TO HAVE SATISFACTORY PROSPECTS OF FINDING SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT+.

FEATURES OF THE GREEN PAPER

MORE PLACES FOR THOSE COMPLETING FORM 3

THE TARGET FOR SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION WILL BE RAISED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SUBSIDISED FORM 4 PLACES, WITH SUBSEQUENT PROGRESSION TO FORM 5, FOR 50 PER CENT OF THE 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION IN 1981. THIS COMPARES WITH THE 40 PER CENT TARGET IN THE 1974 WHITE PAPER AND THE 17 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION WHO PROCEEDED TO A SUBSIDISED FORM 4 PLACE IN 1977.

TO ACHIEVE THE 50 PER CENT TARGET, THE NUMBER OF PLACES IN EACH OF FORMS 4 AND 5 WILL BE RAISED FROM 19,600 TO 46,800.

THIS WILL BE DONE FIRSTLY BY CONTINUING THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME : BETWEEN 1976 AND 1978, 54 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL HAVE BEEN OPENED AND A FURTHER 48 WILL BE COMPLETED BY 1981.

SECONDLY, THE FORM 4-5 PLACES IN PRIVATE NON-PROFIT- MAKING SCHOOLS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO THE GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE AND, AT THE SAME TIME, THE NUMBER OF FORM 4-5 CLASSES IN MANY SUCH SCHOOLS WILL BE INCREASED BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FORM 1-3 CLASSES (AS THE POPULATION IN THE YOUNGER AGE GROUP DECLINES).

THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FORM 3 LEAVER TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

THE GREEN PAPER NOTES THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN CONSIDERABLE PRIORITY IN RECENT YEARS TO THE BUILDING OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, MOST OF WHOSE COURSES ARE DESIGNED FOR THE FORM 3 LEAVER,

THE NEW HAKING WONG TECHNICAL INSTITUTE WHICH OPENED IN 1977 BROUGHT THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES UP TO FOUR. BY THE TIME THAT THE KOWLOON TONG TECHNICAL

INSTITUTE AND THE ANNEX TO MORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (BOTH DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1979) BECOME FULLY OPERATIONAL, THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES WILL MEET THE

EDUCATIONAL DEMAND FROM NEARLY 14 PER CENT OF THE 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION IA 1981.

/THUS, CONSIDERING