ENG-1956 — Page 142

112

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

the joint Primary 6 Examination and admit up to 67% of their Form I entrants on the results, or to reserve at least 30% of their places for pupils who have qualified for Form I in that examination. }

Government directly maintains 28 primary schools, 10 secondary schools, 2 technical schools, a technical college, 2 teacher-training colleges, and 3 evening institutions. By the end of the year four new primary schools had been completed under the seven-year plan, providing nearly 7,200 places. The average age of entering and leaving government primary schools is a little over six and thirteen respectively, and for secondary schools just over thirteen and nineteen.

The special afternoon classes were formed in 1950 for the benefit of children who were unable to obtain admission to primary schools. They are of two hours' duration, cover general subjects, and are run through the co-operation of a large number of schools, mostly private.

Planning and Development. The demand for primary education in special afternoon classes has emphasized the need for more education at low fees and in 1955 Government accepted in principle a seven-year plan to provide by 1961 enough places for all children of primary school age (6-1I inclusive). This plan originally envisaged the provision of 26,000 new places a year, but, mainly because of the con- tinued rise in the natural increase of the population, it has been necessary to revise the target figure to over 30,000 places a year of these, it is hoped that about 13,000 will be in government schools, and the remainder in subsidized and private schools. At the same time Government gives assistance to private and government-aided bodies in replac- ing unsuitable and uneconomic accommodation.

During the year ending 30th June, 1956, 43 new buildings or extensions were opened, providing accommodation for 15,220 pupils, nearly 13,000 of them at the primary stage.