TNAG-1419-FCO40-1902-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 226

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OF FUNDS, TO CONSIDER MEETING THE ADDITIONAL COSTS ARISING FROM

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. THEY ARE ALSO NOW COMPILING ACTIVITIES

INVOLVEMENT' RECORDS FOR INCLUSION IN EACH REFUGEE'S CASE

HISTORY. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES AND SHOULD BOTH HELP WITH RESETTLEMENT AND ENCOURAGE

REFUGEES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES WHICH

ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

3. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCORD FIRST PRIORITY TO IMPROVING

EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN IN THE CAMPS. THEY AIM TO STANDARDISE

EDUCATION FOR THE 6 15 AGE GROUP THROUGHOUT THE CAMPS, IN ORDER

TO ENABLE ALL CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL DAILY FOR 4 HOURS (THIS

COMPARES WITH THE 4.5 HOURS EDUCATION PROVIDED FOR LOCAL CHILDREN

IN HONG KONG). TO MAXIMISE THE USE OF CLASSROOM SPACE, A

BI-SESSIONAL SYSTEM WILL BE INTRODUCED WHEREBY HALF THE CHILDREN

WILL ATTEND CLASSES IN THE MORNINGS, AND HALF IN THE AFTERNOONS.

THIS IS A COMMON FORM OF SCHOOLING IN HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THE

GENERAL LACK OF SPACE IN THE TERRITORY. COURSES WILL BE BASED ON

A CORE CURRICULUM DEVISED BY UNHCR. THE MAIN SUBJECTS WILL BE

ENGLISH, VIETNAMESE AND MATHEMATICS, SUPPLEMENTED BY OPTIONAL

SUBJECTS SUCH AS SOCIAL STUDIES, HEALTH EDUCATION, ARTS AND

CRAFTS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND MUSIC.

4.

THIS SYSTEM ALREADY OPERATES SUCCESSFULLY, UNDER THE

DIRECTION OF THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, AT THE NEWLY OPENED

BOWRING CLOSED CENTRE, AND WILL SOON BE EXTENDED TO ALL THE

CLOSED CAMPS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

THE PRESENT POSITION AT INDIVIDUAL CAMPS IS AS FOLLOWS:

A)

AT THE CHI MA WAN CLOSED CENTRE, THE SALVATION ARMY AT

PRESENT PROVIDES EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE

SUPERVISION OF A HEAD TEACHER EMPLOYED BY THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, THIS RESPONSIBILITY WILL SHORTLY BE

TAKEN OVER BY THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE

(HKISS). (THE SALVATION ARMY WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDED

OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES WITHIN THE CENTRE.) HKISS PLANS TO

PROVIDE EDUCATION ON A 4 HOUR, BI-SESSIONAL BASIS, FROM

SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.

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