ENG-1962 — Page 155

8

Education

THERE are 750,000 students in Hong Kong. Three times a day thousands of neatly uniformed children enter or leave their schools and colleges; as fast as some finish the morning session, others arrive for afternoon classes. Many schools hold an early evening session, too, or are used for evening classes or as adult recreation and training centres. The number of pupils in every type of school continued to rise during 1962, particularly in primary schools where by the end of September the enrolment figure had reached 539,000. Altogether there were 750,700 pupils enrolled at all schools, colleges and education centres-92,000 more than in 1961. Detailed figures are given in Appendix VI.

SCHOOL EXPANSION PROGRAMME

The 1961 census indicated the success of the drive to provide primary education. In March 1961 the number of children of primary school age, six to 11 inclusive, was 488,900. By September 1962, it was estimated that the number of children of primary school age had risen to 530,000, this rise being in part the result of immigration during the period. However, the actual enrolment in primary schools for the autumn term of 1962 was 539,000, of whom 476,000 were accommodated in day schools and 63,000 in evening and special afternoon classes.

The expansion programme still faces several major problems. Many children repeat a class in a primary school and so take longer than the normal six years to complete the course; also, because of a general shortage of places in the past, a large number of children started primary school at seven, eight, nine or even 10 years of age. As a result there are 60,000 children aged over 13 years in primary schools, and less than three-quarters of the children within the primary school age range are in school. The position is also aggravated by a natural annual increase of 20,000 in the primary school age population. Although a great deal has