TNAG-1786-FCO40-2546-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-closed-camp-policy-1988 — Page 156

1.7

1.8

1.9

1.10

Main Recommendations

Refugee schools should be of

a standard comparable to that

required for registration

under the Education

Ordinance.

Education Department should inspect the refugee schools and suggest ways to improve

their standards and

facilities.

ED to provide training course

for Vietnamese teachers.

Elementary education should

be carried out inside the

refugee centres while further

education outside centres

should be opened to open

centre refugees on a competitive basis and to the closed centre refugees on a

case by case basis.

1.11 Education for refugee

children should be

compulsory.

Comments/Follow-up Action

The points on Education

facilities were not immediately

followed up by the Hong Kong

Government because they had then

just turned over the

responsibility for providing

education for refugees to the UNHCR and improvements were already being made. The UNHCR

employed an Education Co-ordinator in 1986 to improve

the curriculum and school

facilities in the refugee

centres. Since then there has

been substantial improvement in

both areas. For example, there is now a separate educational complex in each closed centre

and also a UNHCR-funded central

resource unit for distribution

of teaching material. At

present the Hong Kong Government

is considering proposals from

the UNHCR for integrating refugee children into the local

education system. Modified

proposals have been endorsed by

the Legislative Council Ad Hoc Group in principle with a view to improving the resettlement

chances of the refugees. The

Executive Council will be

consulted in March. The

Hong Kong Government have not

enforced compulsory education

for the refugee children as

proposed because they have no

sanction over the children if

they refuse to attend school.

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