TNAG-0473-FCO40-538-Hong-Kong-government-policy-on-education-1974 — Page 133

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Chairman: HON. P. C. Woo, C.B.E., J.P.

Vice-Chairman: Hon. J. CANNING, J.P. Secretary: Mr. G. G. Oakes

LEE GARDENS (THIRD FLOOR)

HYSAN AVENUE, CAUSEWAY

HONG KONG

BAY

11th October, 1973

Your Excellency,

It gives me great pleasure to submit to you the Report of the Board of Education.

The Board has followed the terms of reference with great care and believes that it has been able to evolve a practical policy for the expansion of secondary education in Hong Kong.

We have proposed in our Report that there should be an interim target, which would involve the provision by the end of 1981 of sufficient 3-year places for 80% of the 12-14 age group and sufficient 5-year places for 36% of the 12-16 age group.

I think that it is very important to point out that we strongly recommend that the principal objective should be the provision of places for 100% of those in the 12-14 age group and 5-year school places for 40% of those in the 12-16 age group, and I believe this objective can be achieved by the end of 1984.

We believe that both these targets can be achieved so long as the proposed rate of building of schools can be maintained, and teacher training facilities in the colleges of education and university can be expanded.

We welcome your Excellency's expressed intention that there should be the widest possible public discussion on these proposals, which are necessarily complex and of far reaching importance to the future of the community.

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