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(3) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise how many vocational and technical schools (and the number of students) there are in the resettlement areas and estates?
(b) How many of these schools are Government-run?
What is the enrolment?”
(4) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please inquire from the Census Commissioner what is the estimated number of children of primary school age living in resettlement areas and estates who are not going to school?
(b) Will the Commissioner also inquire what is the estimated number of children of secondary school age living in resettlement areas and estates who are not going to school?"
(5) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise whether or not he has been advised by the Education Department that universal primary education (to be provided by Government and private schools) is being planned for all children in resettlement areas and estates within the next few years?
(b) Will the Commissioner furthermore state whether the Education Department has asked that space be provided in new resettlement estates to erect vocational and/or technical schools?
(c) Would the accommodation in such schools be sufficient to provide all children in the new resettlement estates with the opportunity of having a primary education and a few years of post-primary education, vocational or otherwise?”
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
"This series of questions concerns education in Resettlement Estates and Areas.
2. Your questions 2(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) and 4(a) and (b) refer largely to the 1961 census. The relevant tabulations which will provide the answers to your questions will not be available until approximately the end of March this year, and I shall be happy to address an appropriate inquiry to the Commissioner for Census. I should, however, point out that the information provided will only refer to Estates and Areas as they were at the time of the census, whereas in some, considerable development has
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subsequently taken place. The census was, of course, concerned with individuals rather than buildings, but from my records I am able to supply the following information on this aspect. As regards question 2(c), there are 125 primary schools inside Estates or Cottage Areas including 6 Government primary schools close to the boundaries of Estates, which are specifically designed to serve these localities. These schools are attended by approximately 63,140 children. As regards question 2(d), there are no secondary schools operating inside Resettlement Estates and Areas, but this does not mean that there are no children attending secondary schools elsewhere. As regards question 2(e), the enrolment of the 6 primary schools operated by Government is approximately 11,215.
3. Your question 3 calls for information on vocational and technical schools. There are only two such schools in Resettlement Estates and Areas, neither of them run by Government, with a total of 150 students.
4.
5.
6.
It should be borne in mind that the above statistics can be misleading in view of the fact that a considerable number of children attend schools outside the Estates and Areas. Some non-settler children also attend schools inside the Estates and Areas.
With regard to your fourth question, I would also invite you to refer to the penultimate sentence in paragraph 4 of my reply to your question on 11th April, 1961, in this Council on the same subject. You were requested to discuss with me the tabulations which you had in mind so that the Commissioner for Census could be advised accordingly. You were also then advised that no tabulations would, in fact, be forthcoming for at least a year, but fewer than nine months have elapsed.
As to your question 5, I have been advised by the Education Department that universal primary education is being planned on a Colony-wide basis and not specifically for Resettlement Estates and Areas. I think you will agree that special treatment, favourable or otherwise, for the children of settlers would be undesirable, implying as it would that they are not integrated into the general population. The provision of secondary education, i.e. grammar, technical and modern, is also planned on a Colony-wide basis, and the expansion of facilities is now under consideration by Government, but this is an important matter
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L:
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(3) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise how many vocational and technical schools (and the number of students) there are in the resettlement areas and estates?
(b) How many of these schools are Government-run?
What is the enrolment?”
(4) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please in- quire from the Census Commissioner what is the estimated number of children of primary school age living in resettlement areas and estates who are not going to school?
(b) Will the Commissioner also inquire what is the estimated number of children of secondary school age living in resettlement areas and estates who are not going to school?"
(5) "(a) Will the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise whether or not he has been advised by the Education Department that universal primary education (to be provided by Government and private schools) is being planned for all children in resettlement areas and estates within the next few years?
(b) Will the Commissioner furthermore state whether the Education Department has asked that space be pro- vided in new resettlement estates to erect vocational and/or technical schools?
(c) Would the accommodation in such schools be suffi- cient to provide all children in the new resettlement estates with the opportunity of having a primary education and a few years of post-primary education, vocational or otherwise?”
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
"This series of questions concerns education in Resettlement
Estates and Areas.
2. Your questions 2(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) and 4(a) and (b) refer largely to the 1961 census. The relevant tabulations which will provide the answers to your questions will not be available until approximately the end of March this year, and I shall be happy to address an appropriate inquiry to the Commissioner for Census. I should, how- ever, point out that the information provided will only refer to Estates and Areas as they were at the time of the census, whereas in some, considerable development has
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
177
subsequently taken place. The census was, of course, con- cerned with individuals rather than buildings, but from my records I am able to supply the following information on this aspect. As regards question 2(c), there are 125 primary schools inside Estates or Cottage Areas including 6 Government primary schools close to the boundaries of Estates, which are specifically designed to serve these localities. These schools are attended by approximately 63,140 children. As regards question 2(d), there are no secondary schools operating inside Resettlement Estates and Areas, but this does not mean that there are no children attending secondary schools elsewhere. As re- gards question 2(e), the enrolment of the 6 primary schools operated by Government is approximately 11,215.
3. Your question 3 calls for information on vocational and technical schools. There are only two such schools in Resettlement Estates and Areas, neither of them run by Government, with a total of 150 students.
4.
5.
6.
It should be borne in mind that the above statistics can be misleading in view of the fact that a considerable number of children attend schools outside the Estates and Areas. Some non-settler children also attend schools inside the Estates and Areas.
With regard to your fourth question, I would also invite you to refer to the penultimate sentence in paragraph 4 of my reply to your question on 11th April, 1961, in this Council on the same subject. You were requested to discuss with me the tabulations which you had in mind so that the Commissioner for Census could be advised accordingly. You were also then advised that no tabula- tions would, in fact, be forthcoming for at least a year, but fewer than nine months have elapsed.
As to your question 5, I have been advised by the Educa- tion Department that universal primary education is being planned on a Colony-wide basis and not specifically for Resettlement Estates and Areas. I think you will agree that special treatment, favourable or otherwise, for the children of settlers would be undesirable, implying as it would that they are not integrated into the general popula- tion. The provision of secondary education, i.e. grammar, technical and modern, is also planned on a Colony-wide basis, and the expansion of facilities is now under con- sideration by Government, but this is an important matter
Page 96 of 11
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