TNAG-0473-FCO40-538-Hong-Kong-government-policy-on-education-1974 — Page 42

RECEIVED

REGISTRY No.52

NOV 1974

NICK 9/2

1.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1974

PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS FULFILLING A NEED

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PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE EDUCATION PLAN FOR THE 12 TO 14 YEARS OLD IN HONG KONG, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY WHEN HE OPENED THE CARITAS ST. PAUL'S PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL ON CHEUNG CHAU ISLAND.

THERE ARE 3,400 PLACES IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND UNDER APPROVED POLICY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLANS TO EXPAND THESE TO 11,000 APPROVED PLACES BY 1979.

IN ADDITION, PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, IN COMMON WITH ALL OTHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO EXPAND THEIR INTAKE BY VARIOUS METTIODS SUCH AS FLOTATION AND EXTENDED DAY.

+THERE CAN, THEREFORE, DE NO DOUBT THAT PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ARE HERE TO STAY. THEIR CONTINUED POPULARITY IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THEY ARE FULFILLING A NEED,+ K2, TOPLEY SAID.

IN FACT, THE FOUR PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS RUN BY CARITAS HAD 4,436 DIRECT APPLICATIONS THIS SEPTEMBER FOR SCO PLACES. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THERE WERE THE APPLICATIONS DECEIVED AS A RESULT OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION.

THE DIRECTOR SAID THE SINCERE DELIER OF CARITAS IN THESE SCHOOLS HAD BEEN TRANSLATED INTO A SUCCESSFUL ACHIEVEMENT AND HE CONGRATULATED THE ORGANISATION'S DEDICATION CU A JOB WELL DONE.

WITH THE OPENING OF ST. PAUL'S - ONE OF THE NEWEST AND MOST MODERN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS - STUENTS ON CHEUNG CHAU WOULD SAVE MANY HOURS OF UNNECESSARY TRAVELLING,

AS IN ALL AIDED SCHOOL PROJECTS, THE GOVERNMENT PAID A CONSIDERABLE PART OF THE CAPITAL COST OF THIS SCHOOL. THE SPONSORS' SHARE FOR THIS SCHOOL IS LARGELY IN THE FORM OF A DONATION FROM THE HOLY CHILDHOOD SOCIETY IN CERDANY.

MR. TOPLEY ASKED THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY, FATHER PAUL KOPPELDERY, TO TAKE BACK TO THE CHILDREU OF GERMANY

THE THANKS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KỌNG FOR THEIR HELP IN FINANCING THE DUILDING OF THIS FINE SCHOOL WITTCH DAS ELEVEN CLASSROOMS AND NINE SPECIAL ROOMS TO HOUSE THE PRACTICAL AND SCIENCE SUBJECTS AND A LIBRARY.

THE SCHOOL HAS 600 STUDENTS. ITS CURRICULUM IS VELL BALANCED BETWEEN PRACTICAL WORK AND GENERAL EDUCATION VILICH COMPRISES THE USUAL SUBJECTS UP TO FORM 3 LEVEL INCLUDING MUSIC AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

THERE IS A VIDER VARIETY OF PRACTICAL SUBJECTS THAN IN MANY SCHOOLS OF THIS TYPE. APART FROM METAL WORK, WOODWORK AND PRACTICAL ELECTRICITY, THERE ARE COMMERCIAL, TEXTILES AND TAILORING SUBJECTS.

*PUPILS WHO HAVE ATTENDED THIS SCHOOL, SHOULD DE WELL-PREPARED TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES III ONE OF THE YECHNICAL INSTITUTES IN HONG KONG,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.

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