TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 249

Question No. 3

Reply by the Hon. Michael Leung, JP, Director of Education, to a Legislative Council Question by the Hon. Mrs. Rita Fan

on 10 July 1985

Question :

Could Government inform this Council:-

(a)

(b)

how much advance notice has been given by the Government to the 17 private schools which will not be included in the Bought Place Scheme from September 1986?

what criteria are used for determining whether a private school is fit to participate in the Bought Place Scheme?

sir,

(a)

Each of the 17 schools was informed in writing

in March this year that the Government will cease to buy Form 1

places from them as from September 1986. This means that the

schools concerned have been given 18 months notice. In addition,

the arrangements were fully discussed with the Private School

Associations Advisory Board in one of my regular meetings with

them in the same month. The same Board was consulted as early

as December 1982 as regards the amount of advance notice required

in the event of Government's phasing out of bought places. All

members agreed that 18 months would be sufficient.

(b) The criteria used by the Government to determine

whether a private school is considered acceptable to join the

bought place scheme are the school management and administration,

the teaching staff, the premises, the facilities, its provision

of extra-curricular activities and its popularity among parents

and students. It is from an overall assessment of the school in

all these areas that decisions are made on whether places should

be bought from the school. This assessment is made through

inspections of the school and is reviewed annually to see if

continued buying is justified.