TNAG-0334-FCO40-370-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 109

primary, and to $3,000 at Secondary English-speaking

long standing

introduce

schools, as a result of a, decision to implement.

parity of subsidy to equivalent

English and Chinese-speaking schools. The Toasen Por

reached becauver

This decision was that the gross cost per place in a

ん

Government English Junior school was almost three times

that for a place in an equivalent Government Chinese

primary school. So far as secondary schools were concerned

the ratio was 2.5: 1.the Government regarded it

equitable

only that the difference in cost should be passed

on to those enjoying higher standards of education

In order

provision, that the level of subsidy remained the same

for all levels of the community 98.5% of whom are

Chinese-speaking,

*

REACTIONS

Whilst

e expected, Chinese opinion

commended the Government for implementing policy

of parity, because of its equitable treatment of both

the ssepatorate community strongly opposed Jewsonment races in the provision of education, strong opposition Казраства оп

the grounds that it

went unneciasusing great * inar fficient- was aroused among the expatriate community on account

nitra had чист

днить

of both the size and the suddenness of the increases,

Գ

The matter was hotly debated in the local press many individuals wrote to Members of Parliament, a Betitions

were sent to the Secretary of State by the Joint Council

of Parent-Teacher Associations of the English-speaking Schools, and the Association of European Civil Servante,

The

ви

hecir latter organisation/also) at one point contemplated

taking the unprecedented step of sending a delegation

and

л

to London to see the Secretary of State to contest King Kong

Government policy. There was widespread concern,

in particular, that those with more modest incomes

Would suffer real hardship unless aided in some way

by the Government.

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