TNAG-0744-FCO40-948-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 6

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EDUCATION.

7. TWO COMMUNIST SCHCOLS HAVE APPLIED TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FOR PERMISSION (WHICH WILL BE GRANTED) TO REPLACE THEIR PRIMARY

EXTENSION CLASSES (SECONDARY CLASSES NOT DESIGNED FOR THE HONG

KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION COURSES) WITH STANDARD SECONDARY

CLASSES. IN RESPONSE TO AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR, FOUR

LOCAL COMMUNIST SCHOOLS HAVE APPLIED TO JOIN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM. THIS GIVES THEIR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE INTO NON-COMMUNIST SECONDARY SCHOOLS (BUT NOT VICE VERSA, SINCE THESE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT JOINED THE ''BOUGHT

PLACE'' SCHEME).

SOCIAL PRESSURE GROUPS.

8. ''THE PEOPLES' COUNCIL OF PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY'', THE SUCCESSOR TO THE 'RENTAL ACTION GROUP'', HAS BEEN PRESSING, BUT

WITH LITTLE SUCCESS, A POLICY OF OPPOSING THE RENT INCREASES IN PRE-1973 HOUSING ESTATES (WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT ON 1 DECEMBER).

THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE RENTS WILL NOT BE PAID.

9. A CAMPAIGN CALLING ITSELF THE ''SECOND CHINESE LANGUAGE

MOVEMENT' CAME INTO BEING AFTER THE PUBLICATION BY THE HONG KONG

EXAMINATION AUTHORITY OF A DECISION MAKING A PASS AT HIGHER LEVEL

IN ENGLISH, BUT NOT IN CHINESE, A PREREQUISITE FOR ENTRANCE TO THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. OPPOSITION TO THIS DECISION

CAME FROM STUDENTS, EDUCATIONALISTS AND OTHER SOCIAL GROUPS. THE EXAMINATION AUTHORITY SUBSEQUENTLY AGREED THAT A PASS IN CHINESE

LANGUAGE SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED. THIS DECISION WAS REGARDED AS A MAJOR VICTORY BY THE ORGANISERS OF THE CAMPAIGN. WE EXPECT IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATUS OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TO REMAIN AN ATTRACTIVE ISSUE FOR SOCIAL PRESSURE GROUPS SINCE IT CAN BE

PURSUED WITHOUT INVOLVING POLITICAL ALLEGIANCES.

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/IMMIGRATION.