TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 139

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39.

to provide self-care

able-bodied elderly

During 1985 the Housing Authority agreed

hostels in public housing estates for the more

members of the population; these hostels were in addition to the

existing quota of shared flats and housing units for single persons

in public housing estates. For those requiring a greater degree of

personal care, the planning ratio for care-and-attention homes was

raised from four to five places per thousand of the elderly

population.

(b) Education

40.

In the period under review, the Hong Kong Government again

demonstrated the high value they place on extending educational

opportunities. They set themselves the target of providing by 1991

enough subsidised places in Forms 4

Forms 4 and 5 (for children aged 15 and

16) in

secondary schools, and in one-year full-time craft courses in

technical institutes

institutes and training centres, to satisfy the demand for

post-junior secondary education of 96% of the age group completing

Form 3. The achievement of this target which will mainly involve

the construction of 24 new secondary schools, will permit the

phasing out of the unpopular Junior Secondary Education Assessment

system, which at present selects and allocates Form 3 leavers to a

limited number of Form 4 places in the public sector.

41.

During the year 28,000 full-time or equivalent part-time

students attended institutions of higher learning in Hong Kong, of

whom 13,000 were on degree courses. In addition, the Joint Funding

Scheme for Hong Kong students in Britain has provided a further

valuable source of subsidised places in higher education. In Hong

Kong, the target figure for first year places in first degree

courses by

1994-95 was just over 6,300 un til the Government

announced that it would proceed with the planning of a third

University. The target for provision of first year degree places by

1994-95 was thus increased to over 7,500. Hong Kong's second

Polytechnic, the City Polytechnic, planning for which started in

1982, admitted its first students in October in temporary premises,

while its permanent campus is being constructed. Planning for

third University will commence shortly.

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