XN000022-1995-02-26 — Page 4

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Survey launched on School Direct Subsidy Scheme

Supervisors and principals of about 400 non-government secondary schools are urged to express their views on the implementation of the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) by responding to a questionnaire survey by the Private Schools Review Committee.

The committee has sent questionnaires to solicit the views of these schools, which have not joined the DSS. They include aided secondary schools, per caput grant schools, bought place scheme schools, special schools, private independent schools and a number of international schools.

The committee which is reviewing the scheme is interested to find out any problems or worries on the part of prospective schools, and reasons why certain schools are not interested in joining the scheme.

The schools are requested to return the completed questionnaires to the commitice on or before March 11 (Saturday).

A spokesman for the Education Department said that under the scheme, the Government could subsidise and encourage the growth of a strong private school sector to offer more choices for parents.

"At the same time, participating schools enjoy a high degree of freedom with regard to school curricula, fees and entrance requirements for students," the spokesman said.

The spokesman added that the DSS would not affect the Government's commitment to free and compulsory education, and that no child would be compelled to attend a DSS school.

In the questionnaire, schools are asked:

Whether they agree with the objectives of the scheme;

Why they did not join the DSS;

Whether aided secondary schools think that the Government should re- introduce the terms proposed in 1992, but which were not accepted then by the Finance Committee, including an interest-free loan for upgrading facilities and a one-month subsidy advance on joining the scheme; and

Views on how the DSS could be extended to cover primary schools as recommended in the Education Commission Report No. 3.