TNAG-0330-FCO40-366-Visit-of-Parliamentary-Under-Secretary-of-State--Anthony-Roy-1972 — Page 85

CONFIDENTIAL

BRIEF NO 6

MR ROYLE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

11-15 NOVEMBER 1972

EDUCATION

Primary Education

1. Free primary education in Government and Government-aided

schools (except English language schools) was introduced on

1 September 1971. A compulsory school attendance scheme has also

been introduced. The Governor, speaking at the opening of the

new session of the Legislative Council recently, said that the

Government would now endeavour to improve the quality of the

education made available.

Secondary Education

2. The Governor further announced that the main thrust of the

education effort during the rest of the decade must be in

secondary and technical education. The Government are well on the

way to achieving the present interim target of three years post- primary education for 50% of all children in the 12-14 age group

and aim to provide such education for the whole group. It is also

proposed to double the percentage of full five-year course places

in secondary schools. This represents a significant expansion in

the field of aided secondary education.

Technical and University Education

3. The Governor has announced proposals to provide five additional technical institutes by 1980, of which two should open in 1975. To staff this expansion with teachers, the output of the three existing Colleges of Education is to be increased by 2,000 by 1976. A reconstituted Board of Education will be asked to advise on these

CONFIDENTIAL