TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 253

C.S. 41A

布政司署

香港下亞

畢道

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

REGISTRY NO. 51

本署檔號 OUR REF.: CR L/M 473/76

10FEB 1977

來函檔號 Your REF.:

JUICK 280/1

1st February 1977

Dear Darck,

LAST

REF.

(4) Ones Fill

NEXT

REF.

P.Q.s from Mr. Robert Parry, MP

I am sorry that it has taken so long to reply to your letter HKK 263/1 of 21st December.

2.

The increase from 1974 to 1975 in the number of children aged 10-14 not attending school appears to have been an irregularity in a steadily decreasing trend, as illustrated by the fact that the figure in september 1976 (now available) fell to 19,200. The following factors may have contributed to the unexpected increase in 1975:

(a)

(b)

as explained in my telegram, the figures provided did not take account of children enrolled in special schools and classes, as an age distribution for this group was not available. However, the total number of enrolments in special schools and classes rose from 6,725 in september 1974 to 9,105 in September 1975;

there has been a steady reduction in the number of overage children in primary schools. The number of children under the age of 13 enrolled in Primary 6 increased from 62,086 in March 1974 to 67,264 in March 1975, but the number of subsidized Form I places in secondary schools only rose from 61,009 in September 1974 to 61,860 in September 1975, so that a higher proportion of Primary 6 leavers in the correct age group would have been unable to obtain a subsidized secondary place in September 1975. The situation was improved in September 1976, when 71,166 sub- sidized Form I places were available compared with a total of 69,220 children aged under 13 in Primary 6 in March 1976;

D.F. Milton, Esq.,

Hong Kong Department,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London.

020

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