TNAG-0568-FCO40-701-Planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 54

2

CONFIDENT..

The housing plan provides for its redistribution

in new towns in the New Territories. Work is

proceeding on these and their related amenities,

and massive expenditure is being undertaken to

provide fast communications between them and

the old urban area.

EDUCATION

2.

There is already free and more or less

compulsory primary education for all, and

in practice about 80% of primary school

leavers get some sort of secondary education

though by September 1975 subsidised places were

available for just over 50% of primary school

leavers. Under the 1974 White Paper the target

was set for subsidised secondary education in

Forms 1-3 for 100% of the 12-14 age group and

for 40% of the 15-16 year-olds in Forms 4 and 5.

The date set for 100% Form 1 provision was 1979,

but this has now been advanced and by September

'78 there will be subsidised (or where

necessary free) secondary education for all primary

six leavers. To provide the total 306,783 places

needed for full implementation of the White Paper

target 161 schools must be built (many in the New

Towns). Of these, 42 will be under construction

this year.

But until construction of new schools

is completed the additional places will be found