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EDUCATION
the need for expansion of kindergartens and gives assistance in the form of grants of Crown Land to reliable bodies, provision of accommodation in government low-cost housing estates and the waiving of rents in resettlement estates.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
The great majority of primary schools cater for Chinese children, with Cantonese as the language of instruction. English is studied as a second language from the second year of the course. Five government primary schools cater for children whose first language is English.
The total primary day school enrolment in September was 695,428 which exceeds the number of children in the six to eleven-year inclusive age group. In addition, 29,022 pupils attended primary night schools and special afternoon classes. Since many school places are occupied by over-age children, further expansion is continuing, particularly in developing areas. In new resettlement estates the 24-classroom estate school has become the standard form of primary provision.
During the year 53,320 new primary places were provided, compared with 45,600 in the previous year.
In order to cope with the rapid development and expansion of primary education, the Education Department has, with effect from June divided the Colony into five educational areas (two on Hong Kong Island, two in Kowloon and one in the New Territories) for the purpose of administration. This will bring about closer contact between the department and the schools and enable it to make a more accurate assessment of the educational needs of a particular
area.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Twenty-four special schools cater for blind, deaf, physically handicapped and mentally handicapped children. In addition, there are sixteen experimental classes for slow-learning children in govern- ment primary schools. Over 200 physically handicapped children under the supervision of the Special Education Section are attending ordinary government and subsidized primary schools. With the further addition of trained staff, the Special Education Section is
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