XN000022-1978-10-12 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1978

PRIMARY SCHOOLS INVITED TO REGISTER

FOR ALLOCATION OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS AGAIN INVITED ALL PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW SYSTEM OF ALLOCATION OF JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN 1980 FOR THEIR CURRENT PRIMARY 5 PUPILS.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS SENT CIRCULARS TO ALL SCHOOLS REMINDING THEM OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM PARENTS IF THEY CHOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHEME.

THE CLOSING DATE OF APPLICATION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS WILL BE OCTOBER 23. THIS SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED IN 1976 TO REPLACE THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION IN 1978.

AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT UNDER THE SCHEME PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS OF A PARTICIPATING PRIMARY SCHOOL WOULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CHOOSING THEIR SECONDARY SCHOOL BUT NOT SO FOR NON-PARTICIPANTS.

+SCHOOLS NOT TAKING PART IN THE SCHEME SHOULD CLEARLY INFORM PARENTS OF THE CONSEQUENCE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT COULD HELP TO ARRANGE PLACES FOR PUPILS CURRENTLY STUDYING IN PRIMARY 5 OF NON-PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS INTO OTHER SCHOOLS AT PARENTS' REQUEST.

EXPLAINING THE SCHEME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT A PRIMARY 6 PUPIL'S CHANCES OF BEING ALLOCATED A SECONDARY SCHOOL OF HIS CHOICE DEPEND ON THE SCHOOL'S INTERNAL ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF HIS PRIMARY 5 YEAR AND AT THE END OF THE FIRST AND TOWARDS THE END OF THE SECOND TERM OF HIS PRIMARY 6 YEAR ON ALL SUBJECTS, EXCEPT PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ALL SCHOOLS AND BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE IN SOME SCHOOLS.

TO ENSURE FAIRNESS, PUPILS OF ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS HAVE TO SIT THE DEPARTMENT'S ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST, RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE USED TO SCALE AND CONVERT INTERNAL ASSESSMENT INTO AN OVERALL ORDER OF MERIT.

+THE ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST IS NECESSARY AS DIFFERENT SCHOOLS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT CURRICULUM AND THE STANDARD OF MARKING OR ASSESSMENT MAY VARY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

UNDER THE SCHEME THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG IS DIVIDED INTO 24 +SCHOOL NETS+ BASED ON THE LOCATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

IN EACH NET IS A COMPARABLE MIX OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN TECHNICAL SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, AIDED SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, PRIVATE NON-PROFIT-MAKING SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, AND PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, HOWEVER, ARE NOT LIMITED TO PARTICULAR NETS.

EACH PRIMARY 6 PUPIL HAS A CHOICE OF UP TO 30 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN HIS NET.

ALL THE PUPILS LISTED IN THE ORDER OF MERIT ARE THEN GROUPED INTO FIVE BANDS AND FED INTO A COMPUTER FOR ALLOCATION OF A PLACE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL BASED ON PARENTAL CHOICE.

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