TNAG-0669-FCO40-818-Policy-on-housing-and-resettlement-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 76

會聯校學台天區新九港 (司公限有)

f

Ry Enter.

(with (424) to

2 Mir boyu

& Kowloon Resettlement Roof-Top Schools Association Ltd.

R

H. H&

Ľ

2 MAY 1977

LLUKK 360/8

六五〇六六三·三:話電 下地號六座十二區新磡頭橫龍九:址會

6, BLOCK 20, GROUND FLOOR, WANG TAU HOM ESTATE,

The Foreign Secretary,

British Empire.

KOWLOON, HONG KONG.

TEL. 3-3 66056

لله

18

Handed to MN KIDD

ARGO by M. Peter Chan

22nd April, 1977. Virblo Councillor who kid

been risked to give it to

The FCO. Pauses

Kidd 10 FIO 24/14.

to

Dear Sir,

The member schools of our Association were established at roof-tops of various Resettlement Estates in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories when Government was unable to provide adequate school places for children of school age. On Government encouragement, many religious bodies and chautable organizations were urged to set up schools at roof-tops of Resettlement Estates to help ease this problem. At one time the number of roof-top schools amounted to as many as 192 with

students totaling about 200,000. Thus the sponsors of such religious and chartable organizations have indeed rendered an invaluable service both to the Government and the society. It is therefor unfair for the Housing Department to impose such a sharp rent increase to these roof-top schools disregard of the previous contribution to society. An account of how the roof-top schools came into being is uted as follow.

(1) The roof-tops of various resettlement estates in Hong

Kong and Kowloon were originally unutilized. In 1956, due to an inadequacy of school places for children of school age, Government therefore encouraged chautable bodies to set up schools at roof-tops of various resettlement estates at their own expense. No subvention have been granted by the Government and the schools did not have to pay rents. This have since been the standing practice. But the Housing Department suddenly demands that as from 1st September, 1977 all roof-top schools will have to pay rents of such an amount that they could hardly afford, rents which are to be increased by 3 increment in 3 years. In the first year the rental will range from about $520 to about $1100 and in the third year it will have been increased to range from $1,650 to $3200. At the time of first establishment it was stipulated that rents would only be charged/ for school-offices and residence of caretakes and/ roof-top schools did not have to pay rents at all. We wonder why the Housing Department suddenly reverse their established policy.

LAST

Eboo

25

19

...cont.

Mi

fr