XN000022-1988-05-25 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1988

THEY INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:

ADDING SEVEN MORE SCHOOLS TO THE SCHOOL BUILDING

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FOR COMPLETION BY SEPTEMBER 1991;

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PROGRAMME,

ADVANCING THE COMPLETION DATES OF NEW SCHOOLS то THE MAXIMUM EXTENT THAT SITE CONSTRAINTS ALLOW;

ADVANCING THE OPENING OF NEW SCHOOLS BY HAVING TWO SCHOOLS SHARE A NEWLY COMPLETED BUILDING IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION;

DISCRETIONARY

REDUCING THE NUMBER OF

PLACES FROM 10 CENT TO 5 PER CENT AND LIMITING THEM TO STUDENTS FROM SAME DISTRICT;

PER

THE

ADDING ONE EXTRA FLOATING CLASS TO ALL EXISTING SCHOOL ADOPTING A MODIFIED CLASS STRUCTURE FOR NEW SCHOOLS.

AND

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THE

'THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE MEASURES CAN BE JUDGED FROM NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL SECONDARY 1 PLACES THEY ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE, MR BRIDGE SAID.

"IF NO SPECIAL MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN, THEN IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR ALMOST 4,000 CHILDREN, AND IN EACH YEAR FROM 1989 MORE THAN 5,000 CHILDREN, WOULD BE TRAVELLING OUT OF THE REGION TO ATTEND SECONDARY 1 CLASSES.

"BY INTRODUCING ALL THESE REMEDIAL MEASURES WE HAVE PROVIDED ALMOST 1,000 EXTRA SECONDARY 1 PLACES FOR THE COMING SEPTEMBER, AND ALMOST 4,500 EXTRA PLACES FOR SEPTEMBER 1989.'

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IN 1990 AND 1991, ASSUMING THAT BUILDINGS WERE COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS WERE ACCURATE, A SLIGHT SURPLUS OF SECONDARY 1 PLACES IN THE REGION, INSTEAD OF SHORTFALLS OF FIVE OR SIX THOUSAND PLACES, COULD NOW BE FORESEEN.

THE SITUATION IN 1992 AND BEYOND WAS BEING REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF UPDATED POPULATION PROJECTIONS, BASED ON THE 1986 BY-CENSUS, WHICH HAD RECENTLY BECOME AVAILABLE.

"IF THESE PROJECTIONS INDICATED A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS, THEN I SHALL DO MY BEST TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDED.

THE

"WHILE SOME OF THESE MEASURES DO MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE SCHOOLS CONCERNED AND THEIR TEACHERS, I AM CONFIDENT THAT QUALITY OF EDUCATION RECEIVED BY THE CHILDREN IN THE REGION WILL BE AFFECTED," MR BRIDGE SAID.

NOT

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