ENG-1953 — Page 109

SOCIAL SERVICES

Government directly controls 22 primary schools, 10 post- primary and secondary schools, 2 technical schools and 1 technical college, 3 colleges for the training of teachers, the Evening School of Higher Chinese Studies and the Evening Institute. The average age of entry and leaving government primary schools is 6.6 and 13.8 years respectively and for secondary schools 13.9 and 19 years.

Under the terms of the Grant Code (applying to schools run by missionary bodies), Government pays the difference between the approved expenditure of a school and its income from fees and other sources. Approved expenditure includes salaries, incidentals, passages and leave pay for teachers so entitled. Grants may also be made up to the cost of 50% of the cost of new buildings and major repairs. There are 4 kindergarten, 19 primary and 19 secondary departments of schools functioning under the Grant Code. In general, English is the medium of instruction in the senior classes. In Grant- aided schools, catering more for secondary grades, the average age of entry and leaving was 10.9 and 18.21 years.

Government also operates a Subsidy Code, the object of which is to encourage the establishment and expansion of vernacular primary schools with reliable committees of management, particularly in rural areas. The financial assistance given under this Code enables school managers to keep school fees at a reasonably low level and ensures more satisfactory salary scales for teachers than would otherwise be possible. The number of schools receiving subsidies varies from year to year, but is steadily increasing. During the year, 328 primary schools, with 9 secondary and 3 technical or voca- tional departments, received subsidies from the Government.

There were 664 private schools of every type, from kinder- garten to adult evening schools, maintained entirely from their own resources. Government exercises more direct supervision of grant-aided and subsidized schools than over private schools, thus ensuring adequate facilities and satisfactory standards of

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