TNAG-0176-FCO40-212-Brief-on-communist-controlled-schools-for-Lord-Shepherd-s-vi-1969 — Page 78

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MEMO

From : Commissioner of Police (D.S.B.) To: A.F. Maddocks, Esq.,

Political Adviser.

Ref :

GEN/14/368/139 Pt.3.

Date :

18th July, 1968.

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Political Indoctrination in Communist Schools

At the Government House meeting on 12th July, I was directed by H.E. The Governor to prepare a brief note illustrating the amount of time being devoted in Communist schools to political activities.

2.

At Annexure 'A' to this memorandum is a breakdown of the curriculum of a Middle 3 class of the Heung To Middle School which shows the amount of time being spent on various subjects during one week in early May this year. Annexure 'B' provides a similar breakdown for a week's activities by the same class early this month. While, at first glance, Annexure 'B' appears to indicate that the amount of time spent on political activities is decreasing, it must be remembered that this particular week was just before the school's internal examinations; there was consequently some decrease in the time devoted to the study of Mao's thoughts and newspaper reading and a commensurate increase in revision and private study.

3.

In a normal school week last term approximately 50% of the total periods of this particular class were devoted to normal academic subjects while the balance revolved around political studies of one form or another. Similar surveys in other Communist controlled schools have produced much the same result.

4.

At Annexure 'C' I have detailed a typical academic day in the life of a student of the Heung To Middle School. From this you will see that, in common with all Communist schools, the day opens with a study of the morning's Communist newspapers and that the periods which should be devoted to Chinese literature, English and music are utilised for political study.

5.

The questions set by the Communist schools for their recent end of term examinations give a further indication of the extent of political studies in these schools. The Chinese literature exam is based entirely

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