ENG-1960 — Page 140

8

Education

THE visitor to Hong Kong is quickly impressed by the crowds of neatly-uniformed school children who seem forever to be going to or from their lessons in schools of every kind. As one stream goes home from the morning session, another often pours in to the same school premises for afternoon instruction.

The number of pupils in every type of school continued to rise during 1960, particularly in the primary schools. On 30th September 1960, enrolment was as follows, with the previous year's figures in brackets:

Enrolment

Kindergarten

24,454

(18,764)

Primary

414,864

(350,361)

Secondary

88,495

(74,625)

Post-Secondary

•

13,678

(13,291) 3

Adult Education

17,737

(14,056)

26

Special Afternoon Classes

12,827

(13,156)

Special Education

751

(733)

572,806

(484,986)

EXPANSION OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

The seven years' programme for expansion of primary schools, which was conceived in 1954 and approved in 1955, passed its target of 215,000 additional places well ahead of schedule during the first quarter of 1960, with 219,000 places. Since the original target was a minimum, based on registered births and deaths and taking no account of immigration, there still remains a need for more places if all children of primary school age are to be admitted. There will be a full review when the results of the

census are known.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

Primary Courses. Children normally enter primary school as soon as they have passed their sixth birthday. The course lasts