ENG-1947 — Page 93

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Local teachers in grant-aided schools receive the same salaries as those in equivalent grades in Government schools, and those with approved British or American qualification receive the Burnham scale of salaries irrespective of race or nationality, together with an overseas allowance in the case of those not normally domiciled in the Far East. Five per cent. of their salary is deducted and paid into a provident fund, to which Government contributes another 5%, since these teachers do not come under a Government pension scheme. The objects of the Subsidy Code under which subsidized schools operate are three- fold: (a) to enable properly qualified teachers to open schools without running into debt: (b) to keep fees at a reasonable level; and (c) to ensure proper salaries for teachers. Were it not for the subsidy many of these schools would be compelled either to charge exorbitant school fees in order to pay their teachers or to balance their budget by paying unreasonably low salaries and The consequently lowering the standard of their tuition. number of schools receiving subsidy varies from year to year; the size of each subsidy is determined by the school's deficit and is in any case not less than half the difference between expendi- ture and income.

Private schools are those which are not in need of or do not merit Government assistance. A school may at any time apply for Government subsidy or the Director of Education may approach the school manager and propose a subsidy if it appears that it is in the interests of the children or of the children's parents that this should be done. The private schools vary considerably both in size and in character. Education may be conducted in these schools either in English or in Chinese and their enrolments vary from 100 pupils or less to large schools with an attendance of about 900 children.

The medium of instruction in schools varies from one category to another. In some English is the sole language, in others, Chinese, and a number of schools have classes in both languages. The grant-aided schools mainly use English although one school is entirely taught in Chinese. Teaching in subsidized and private schools is usually carried out in Chinese. "Chinese" in this context means in the vast majority of cases Cantonese, though there are a few schools whose language of instruction is Hakka, and a very few which use Kuo Yu. Kuo Yu is, however, taught as a language in many schools.

The Military schools cater for serving officers' and soldiers' children under the age of eleven. The staff of these schools is recruited from the Army Education Corps and the Queen's Army Schoolmistresses. They are exempted from the provisions of the Education Ordinance.

Normally, secondary education in English is to a great extent in the hands of Government and grant-aided schools, while subsidized schools and private schools are largely con- cerned with, though not confined to, the field of primary education.

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