ENG-1956 — Page 146

114

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

of the urban and rural courses of training for teachers quali- fied as primary school teachers for the purpose of the Subsidy Code. By the end of the year 281 students were receiving full-time training and 426 in-service teachers were attending the urban and rural courses of training.

A Professional Teachers' Training Board is responsible for integrating the teacher-training facilities of the Government and the University.

Post-Primary Education. In the interests of balanced development, the needs of secondary, technical, higher and adult education are not being overlooked. One big new government co-educational secondary school was opened to- wards the end of 1955, and the rebuilding and expansion of government-aided secondary schools have been encouraged. A new Technical College is being built and equipped with the aid of generous donations in cash and kind from the Chinese Manufacturers' Union, and various business and manufacturing firms. The enrolment of the private post- secondary colleges, which provide a variety of academic, commercial and economic courses, and that of the Special Classes Centre, which offers an avenue to Hong Kong University to selected middle school pupils who have been taught in the medium of Chinese, have both increased. Much work has also been done in the field of adult education to provide recreation for the poorer section of the community and to offer courses designed to repair early educational deficiencies and improve employment prospects.

A great deal of Voluntary Education and Welfare work is carried out by various bodies in Hong Kong. The Kaifong or Neighbourhood Associations provide free schooling for poor children, and the British Red Cross Society organizes hospital schools for crippled children. There are schools for the deaf, for the blind and for lepers; orphanages; homes for maladjusted children; whilst the Po Leung Kuk provides free schooling for the homeless young women and children in its care.