TNAG-0873-FCO40-1083-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 3

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chool fees

While primary education in the public sector is provided free of charge, Government and aided secondary schools charge a standard fee of $400 per annum in Forms I-V. There seems no good reason why com- pulsory education in junior secondary schools need be provided free. This is consistent with Government's policy that those who can afford to pay fees and other charges should do so. Those families which cannot afford to pay the standard fee are adequately safeguarded through the fee remission scheme. Some 60% of students in subsidised secondary school places currently receive some fee remission, and of these some 14% receive full fee remission. The operation of the scheme is currently under review in order to reduce the scope for abuse and to ensure that the assistance which the scheme provides is directed towards families in need, though it is not proposed to change the basic rules governing eligibility for assistance. Secondary school fees, which are heavily subsidised, have not been increased since 1965, and it is not at present proposed to increase the level of the standard fee in respect of Forms I-III though Honourable Members will shortly be asked to consider proposals to bring the non-standard fees charged in certain rural and three-year schools up to the level of the standard fee and to raise the standard fee in respect of Forms IV-VI.

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While the proposed new powers to enforce school attendance do not require the abolition of the standard fee, it is proposed that the fee remission arrangements should be made sufficiently comprehensive to ensure that in no circumstances would a student covered by the new legislation be obliged to pay charges that his family could not afford. Accordingly, it is proposed to provide further assistance to needy families in meeting the fees charged in Forms I-III by private schools in respect of students assigned thereto. The fee remission scheme covers only the standard fee of $400. In addition, the Government at present pays fee supplementation up to $400 per annum, which is calculated on the basis of the weighted average of the fees charged by private schools. Fees charged by private schools in practice vary from $500 to $1, 100 per annum and where they exceed $800 parents have to meet the additional sum without Government assistance. It is proposed therefore to extend the present fee remission arrangements so that families already receiving partial and complete remission would not have to find any of this additional sum. The estimated cost is $5.1 million in 1979/80, $11.8 million in 1980/81 and $13.4 million in 1981/82. Private schools are already required to obtain the Director of Education's approval before increasing their fees and these controls will need to be exercised more strictly, particularly over private independent schools, to ensure that the schools do not take advantage of a more generous scheme of assistance. This additional cost of buying places in independent schools will diminish as the number of bought places in such schools is reduced, though it will remain in respect of private non-profit- making schools.