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(E)(1) Education
Appendix D-Contd.
70 Expenditure on education since 1982–83 has increased substantially in real terms. Its share of Government's total spending has increased from 14.3% in 1982–83 to an allocation of 18.3% in 1987-88. This is largely due to the developments outlined below.
71 The education programme comprises not only pre-primary, primary, secondary and special education but also adult education, technical education and industrial training, vocational training for the disabled, teacher training and retraining as well as education at the two universities, the two polytechnics, the Baptist College and the Lingnan College.
72 The Government provides financial assistance to non-profit-making kindergartens by refunding rent and rates. Fee assistance is also provided to needy children attending kindergartens.
73 Free and universal primary education has been provided since 1971. Due to the rapid development of new towns and the consequential movement of population, there are surplus places in some primary schools, mainly in the older parts of the urban area. Notwithstanding this surplus, it is the Government's policy that no child should have to travel an unreasonable distance to attend primary school and fifteen new primary schools are expected to be completed in 1987-88 in conjunction with the development of public housing estates in the new towns and other developing areas.
74 The minimum age of entry into Primary I is now five years and eight months and the maximum class size is being reduced from 45 to 40 pupils, and to 35 pupils for schools adopting the activity approach.
75 The policy for the development of secondary education in the public sector was first laid down in a White Paper published in 1974. A subsequent White Paper, published in 1978, set out the policy objectives on the development of senior secondary and tertiary education. The recommendations in the Education Commission's first report, accepted by the Government in early 1985, further set out the policy objectives in respect of secondary education.
76
At present, there are subsidized places available in Forms I to III of secondary schools to meet the full demand at this level. The Government's aim is to increase in the next few years the number of places in schools, technical institutes and adult education centres to meet the full demand from Form III leavers and to phase out the Junior Secondary Education Assessment by 1991. The general expansion in the number of secondary school places is combined with developments to improve the overall standard of secondary education by a progressive increase in the number of places in fully aided schools. The number of aided secondary schools has increased from 281 in September 1985 to 283 in September 1986.
77 The Government continues to build additional secondary schools to meet the policy target. Based on the current secondary school building programme, some 46 new schools are expected to be completed between 1987 and 1993. The draft Estimates include $192.7 million in Capital Works Reserve Fund expenditure for the construction of 11 secondary schools. In addition, provision of $116.7 million in capital subventions is included for building and equipping new school buildings and extensions.
78 With effect from September 1986, provision of additional teachers for split class teaching for the subjects of Computer Studies, Art and Design and Music at senior secondary level has also been allowed, provided that the school offers these subjects in public examinations. This additional provision aims at improving the quality of teaching in these subjects at the senior secondary level by allowing the subjects to be taught in small groups. It also aims at assisting schools to broaden their curriculum and to offer more options for their pupils.
79 Since September 1979, aided and government secondary schools having 18 or more classes may appoint a non-graduate teacher to be in charge of the school library on a full-time basis. As from September 1986, government and aided secondary schools with less than 18 classes may also appoint a non-graduate school librarian equivalent to an additional 0.5 non-graduate post.
80 As recommended by the Education Commission's first report, approval has been given for government and aided secondary schools with less than 18 classes to appoint an additional 0.5 non-graduate teacher of Chinese in order to further strengthen the quality of Chinese language teaching.
81 The 0.5 non-graduate of Chinese and the 0.5 non-graduate school librarian mentioned above together make up one full-time post. Aided and government secondary schools with less than 18 classes may therefore have one additional teacher with effect from September 1986.
82 In order to implement Government's policy on the promotion of practical/technical education for junior secondary pupils, the first Practical Education Centre was opened in September 1986. Courses offered include Design and Technology, Home Economics and Art and Design. Pupils from schools which either lack the facilities or trained staff to run the courses are encouraged to participate in the scheme. Initially such courses would be provided for pupils at Form 1 to Form 3 levels and in the first year of operation, only Form 1 pupils have been admitted.
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Additional teachers have also been provided so that students can benefit from more counselling and guidance, remedial teaching and extra-curricular activities. Each standard-sized government and aided secondary school has been provided with three additional graduate teachers (two in September 1982 and one in September 1983) and two additional non-graduate teachers (one in September 1985 and one in September 1986).
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