TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 205

18.

a fair choice of schools. Most of the bought places in private

independent schools will eventually be phased out as new schools are

built: this will result in a further increase in the relative size of

the aided sector.

2.27 English schools The English schools are those operated by

the English Schools Foundation for English-speaking children, for

whom no suitable alternative educational facilities are available in

the public sector in Hong Kong (in most cases the children of

expatriate parents employed in Hong Kong). Children whose knowledge

of Chinese is limited but whose mother tongue is not English are

not considered to be the primary responsibility of the Foundation.

Both the structure and curricula of the English schools are based

very closely on those of the state system in England and Wales and

virtually all of their pupils who proceed to tertiary education enter

institutions outside Hong Kong. A fuller description of these schools

and of recent policy changes affecting their administration and mode

of financing is contained in the Report of the Committee to Review

the Application of the Parity of Subsidy Principle to the English-

speaking Schools (1980). The terms "English school" and "English-

medium school" need to be differentiated: the latter refers to the

Anglo-Chinese schools which, as explained, cater for Chinese children

but use English as the principal medium of instruction.

2.28 Student guidance

Relative priorities in the development

of education have been such that formal schemes for student guidance

in schools were only introduced in this decade though the Education

Department believes that the ordinary teacher in the classroom is

able by the nature of his work and his close relationship with the

pupils in his care to provide informal guidance on a wide range of

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