TNAG-1140-FCO40-1420-Quarterly-progress-reports-on-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 50

CONFIDENTIAL

Provision of Primary School Places (1 August 1982 to 31 October 1982)

Table

FCO Tabular Progress Report

School Years Starting in September

1982/83

1983/84

1984/85

1985/86

1986/87

1. Estimated population in the

6-11 age group (Note 1)

501 100

503 000

504 500

507 600

511 500

2. Total provision of places in operating classrooms only (Note 3)

Notes:

(a) Government

38 970

(b) Aided

544 230

41 165

539 745

41 370

536 620

40 440

534 775

39 420

524 215

Total

583 200

(% of Age Group)

(116%)

580 910 (115%)

577 990 (115%)

575 215

563 635

(113%)

(110%)

(1) Based on the 1979 population projection which assumes that the level of legal and

illegal immigrants from China will taper off in 1981.

(2) Provision is based on the Primary School Building Programme (July 1982).

(3) The policy is to provide primary education for every child in the primary school age group (source: 1965 White Paper on Education Policy) and that no child needs to travel more than 0.4 km to school (reference: Hong Kong Outline Plan, Chapter 3). The provision of primary school places on a local-need basis therefore gives rise to a territory-wide overprovision. Nevertheless, at district level, there can be insufficient places e.g. Tuen Mun, and action is in hand to provide additional places to fulfil the policy objective.

CONFIDENTIAL