ENG-1949 — Page 82

HEALTH

SOCIAL SERVICES

Chapter 7.

EDUCATION

The Education System and the Schools

Education in Hong Kong is voluntary and is largely in the hands of Government, missionary bodies and private individuals. The present system may be said to have started in 1913 when the Education Ordinance from which the Director of Education derives his legal powers came into operation. Under this Ordinance all schools unless speci- fically exempted are required to register with the Director of Education and must comply with the regulations made under the Ordinance governing staff, buildings, number of pupils and health. In 1920 Government set up the Board of Education of which the Director of Education is ex officio Chairman. The present constitution of the Board is seven official and ten unofficial members. The Board has eight regular meetings a year.

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The schools in the Colony may be classified as follows:- (1) Government schools, which are staffed and

maintained by the Education Department;

(2) Grant schools, which are schools run mainly by missionary bodies with the assistance of a grant from Government under the provisions of the Grant Code;

(3) Subsidised schools, which are those schools in receipt of a subsidy from Government under the Subsidy Code;

(4) The Military schools and certain others which are exempted from the provisions of the Education Ordinance, 1913;

(5) All other private schools.