A table of physical facilities of the refugee schools is at Annex C. None of the school buildings was purpose-built, for science classes. nor do they have laboratories equipped Only the New Horizon School in Kai Tak has a cookery room. Each school has
audio-visual room and limited language laboratories are being developed. All refugee schools have In Tuen Mun Closed Centre playgrounds for physical education.
an
the children have the exclusive use of a grass football pitch. The size of each class varies with resettlement and, in the Because the case of the closed centres, the rate of arrivals. number of minors in each centre is small, classes rarely exceed 25 students. To make maximum use of the classrooms, the closed centre schools follow local practice and operate two sessions
an average
per
of
four
and-a-half-hours
of
day providing schooling daily for each student. School holidays generally follow those of local schools.
17
is
children
be
it Since
Vietnamese important that
in and write
their own taught to read
language and since Vietnamese is the medium of instruction in many subjects, the voluntary agencies employ refugee teachers in addition to their own teachers. The numbers of refugee and non-refugee teachers in each centre is set out at Annex D broken down into those
and with
without teaching qualifications. None of the Vietnamese teachers has
the teaching qualification; qualified
reached a secondary
level education Well-qualified teachers are taken
up quickly by resettlement countries. Because of this shortage of trained teachers, quality is hard to maintain.
has
a
most only.
the
The position of schools in open and closed centres under the Education Ordinance
18
The Education Ordinance (Chapter 279) sets out the provisions regulating
regulating schools in Hong
in Hong Kong. Section 10(1) requires that every school shall be registered or provisionally
Before registering
school a
the Director of registered. Education must be satisfied that the premises are suitable, and The with the qualifications and experience of the teachers. Director may refuse to register a school on the grounds set out in Section 14(1) (see Annex E).
19
As refugee centre schools fall within the definition of 'school' in the Ordinance, they are subject to The Director of Education considers that provisions.
schools do not satisfy the requirements
because the particular
qualifications teachers are
None inadequate.
refugee centre registration experience
in
of most
of
its
the
for
and
the
refugee schools has ever been registered under the Education Ordinance; nor have they been formally exempted.
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