TNAG-0795-FCO40-999-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1978 — Page 134

6. The development of senior secondary education

6.1

The new arrangements that have been prepared to replace the SSEE do not provide for primary school leavers to be allocated to separate three-or five-year secondary courses. In September 1981, some of those who entered secondary school under the new arrangements will be seeking entry to Form IV. Some method of selection will be required, having regard to the very high demand for places in certain popular secondary schools and the varying number of Form IV-V places that different schools will offer. The Director of Education has appointed a working party to advise on the method to be adopted and the Government will announce its decision after studying public comment on the report.

6.2

The Government believes that the time has come to move away from the present system of classifying secondary schools into 'grammar' and 'technical'. It does not therefore intend to develop separate "senior secondary grammar schools" and "senior secondary technical schools". However, different classes within a school might place more emphasis on technical rather than non-technical subjects and some schools will concentrate more than others on the technical part of the curriculum. It would be desirable for secondary schools to offer a wider choice of subjects than is usually available at the present time, while avoiding the danger of overloading a student's individual curriculum with a large number of subjects, some of which may contribute little to that student's educational needs. The aim should be to provide in Forms IV-V for courses in arts, science and technology. It is desirable that, as well as studying languages, science and social studies, as many students as possible should take a practical or technical subject, such as Art and Design, Ceramics, Design and Technology, Home Economics, Dressmaking and Commerce. At present only 95 out of a total of 343 secondary schools include any of these subjects in their curriculum at this level. The development of these subjects in the schools will require more resources for equipment and consumables. Government will ensure that the necessary facilities are made available and will provide encouragement and guidance. Furthermore the Government will begin to establish, on a pilot basis, central workshops, which will be extended if found to be justified.

6.3

The need for a small number of students in senior secondary forms to have facilities for the serious study of Music and other cultural subjects is recognised. Music is

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