more fully. Most submissions considered that bi-sessional operation would have seriously undesirable social effects.
38. Without bi-sessional operation our conclusion is that with rota- tion alone the objectives could not be achieved until 1983; again we noted that rotation would be required in the non-academic sector only and that the same considerations described in paragraph 36 above would therefore apply to this approach. Moreover rotation would impose strains upon the administration and teaching staff of schools. There would also be social effects; family life would be disrupted when differ ent children in the family had different days off school.
39. The above considerations, together with representations we have received, led us to the view that quantitative targets involving the pro- vision of increased places should not be achieved at the expense of the qualitative aims of Hong Kong's education system. We therefore recommend that neither using a combination of bi-sessional operation and rotation nor using rotation alone to achieve the broad objectives is desirable.
40. The interim target we have suggested therefore is one which can be achieved by 1981 through a building programme alone without re- course to bi-sessionalism or rotation. We have been mindful of the financial implications of expansion of secondary education on the scale under consideration in terms of the community's resources and the claims of other fields of social development. We have also borne in mind the need to maintain a degree of flexibility in the planning for expansion because of the constantly changing economic and social factors within which education takes place in Hong Kong.
41. Details of the numbers and apportionment of places involved in this modified objective are set out in paragraph 26 of Chapter II. These show a need for a total of 170,500 pupils of the 12-16 age-group apportioned into 113,700 grammar type places and 56,800 secondary technical type places. We conclude that these objectives can be achieved by 1981 by the use of existing places, and places planned up to 1976 which include the addition of 29 grammar and 7 secondary technical schools, the conversion of 5 existing grammar schools and the building of 46 secondary technical schools between 1977 and 1981.
42. To provide 3-year course places for 213,600 pupils of the 12-14 age-group, the position is as follows:
15
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.