TNAG-0210-FCO40-246-Briefs-and-background-notes-for-visit-of-Deputy-Under-Secret-1969 — Page 49

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CONFIDENTIAL

VISIT OF DEPUTY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

SIR LESLIE MONSON)

TO HONG KONG, OCTOBER, 1969

EDUCATION

Note No. 11

кольчи

The notes below are for background information and include

some defensive briefing. There are no matters we would wish to

raise.

2. 19.7 per cent of total expenditure (21.3 per cent of re- current expenditure) is absorbed by education in the 1969/70

estimates. This high proportion is steadily rising.

Primary Education

3. It is the aim of the Hong Kong Government to provide by

1970/71 free or subsidised education to all children of primary

school age who seek it. By that date a total of 695,000 places in Government and subsidised primary schools will exceed the

X estimated total of 650,000 children of primary school age.

4. The fees charged at Government and aided primary schools

are very low, ranging from HK$20 to HK$10 a year. Headmasters of these schools have authority to remit fees in part or in

whole, according to need, up to a ceiling of 20 per cent of

the total potential fee income of their schools, and authorisa- tion to exceed this limit can be obtained where necessary. xx Bur Die

Said Wrongly

But 5.

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Free compulsory primary education could now be within the

In his 1969 Budget address

Compudary educaún sights of the Hong Kong Government.

Could bever

be

#

to the Legislative Council the Governor said that he had "the Then whww.draving, gravest doubts about the practicability of making it effectively is corned be imponly compulsory in our present circumstances". He went on to say in Hung Kinng conditions

of crowding and shoot

Std 2 - Shift school

that he hoped by reducing the cost to the parent, and in other

ways removing as far as possible the reasons why children fail

for attoulae offer to attend school, "we shall be able to reduce the problem of terfore the land

non-attendance at school to a point where legislation can cope

with the inevitable residue of those who wilfully keep their

children from school". In semi-official correspondence he has * Dwecks of Education explanes that there might rule be areas where there were hisuiffent

/ told flames for all children owns to locdin of schools

CONFIDENTIAL