XN000022-1979-05-27 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1979

ANNOUNCEMENT SOON ON CAPUT GRANT SCHOOL CONVERSION

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DETAILS CONCERNING THE CONVERSION OF PRIVATE NON-PROFIT-MAKING SCHOOLS INTO FULLY AIDED ONES HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT, AND IT IS

HOPED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT CAN BE MADE EARLY NEXT MONTH,

MR. Y.T. LI, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PLANNING AND BUILDING) SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE DEDICATION AND THANKSGIVING CEREMONY

OF THE KWAI CHUNG METHODIST COLLEGE AT LAI YIU ESTATE.

WITH REGARD TO CONVERSION, MR. LI SAID THE PROPOSAL WAS A COMPLEX ONE INVOLVING A LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS WITH INDIVIDUAL TRADITIONS AND PROBLEMS, AND IT WAS A DIFFICULT TASK TO DEVISE A SCHEME WHICH COULD CONVENIENTLY FIT ALL SCHOOLS.

+WE HAVE BEEN CONSULTING THE RELEVANT SCHOOL COUNCILS ABOUT THE MATTER, AND I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT MOST OF THE DETAILS HAVE NOW BEEN WORKED OUT AND IT IS HOPED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT CAN BE MADE TO THE SCHOOLS CONCERNED SOME TIME EARLY NEXT MONTH,+ HE ADDED.

REFERRING TO THE MANY PROPOSALS IN THE 1978 EDUCATION WHITE PAPER MR. LI NOTED THAT EDUCATION WAS AN EXPENSIVE SERVICE TO WHICH A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET WAS DEVOTED.

+I WISH TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL THE SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE SO CONSCIENTIOUSLY HELPED TO REDUCE OVERALL COSTS BY ADOPTING THE FLOATATION SYSTEM, THEREBY PROVIDING MORE PLACES IN EXISTING SCHOOLS EVEN THOUGH THIS MAY MEAN THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO PUT UP WITH SOME INCONVENIENCE IN THEIR DAY TO DAY OPERATION, HE SAID.

IN THIS CONNECTION, MR. LI POINTED OUT THAT IF THE RECENT TREND OF IMMIGRANTS COMING TO HONG KONG CONTINUED, WE WERE LIKELY TO BE FACED WITH A GREATER DEMAND FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES THAN ANTICIPATED AND AN EVEN LARGER EDUCATION BILL.

HE CALLED ON ALL CONCERNED ABOUT EDUCATION TO START THINKING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.

EDUCATION PLANNING, LIKE EDUCATION ITSELF, WAS AN ON-GOING PROCESS, MR. LI SAID.

*IN HONG KONG, LIKE ANYWHERE ELSE, CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH AFFECT EDUCATION ARE LIKELY TO KEEP CHANGING AND WE MUST ENSURE THAT OUR PLANS ARE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY TO COPE WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS.+

TURNING TO THE KWAI CHUNG METHODIST COLLEGE, MR. LI NOTED THAT THE SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE FIRST BATCH OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS BUILT BY THE GOVERNMENT ACCORDING TO A NEW AND MUCH IMPROVED STANDARD DESIGN.

+ THE OPENING OF THE SCHOOL THEREFORE MARKS A NEW PAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, IT ALSO MARKS A NEW PAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S NEW TOWNS, HE ADDED.

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