ENG-1974 — Page 91

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EDUCATION

prevocational schools. The 250 Anglo-Chinese grammar day schools have an enrol- ment of 253,000 pupils. They offer a five-year course in the usual academic subjects leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. Instruction is in English, with Chinese taught as a second language. Successful Certificate of Education candidates may enter sixth forms for two years to prepare for entrance to the University of Hong Kong or the Chinese University of Hong Kong or the Polytechnic. They may also study for the General Certificate of Education at both ordinary and advanced levels. In addition, there are 51,190 pupils attending tutorial or evening classes where instruction is offered in secondary level subjects. The most popular subject is English.

The 101 Chinese middle day schools accommodate 63,449 pupils and offer a five- year course in the usual academic subjects also leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination. Instruction is in Chinese, and English is taught as a second language. A number of Chinese middle schools also offer a one-year sixth form matric- ulation course to prepare students for entrance to the Chinese University of Hong Kong. For those who obtain satisfactory results in the Certificate of Education exam- ination, higher education is available at the colleges of education, the Morrison Hill Technical Institute, the Polytechnic and other post-secondary colleges.

There are 16 secondary technical schools, 15 of which offer a five-year course in English with Chinese taught as a second language. Nine of the schools are govern- ment, five subsidised and two are private. Their total enrolment is 10,870. Like the Anglo-Chinese grammar schools, they prepare their pupils for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination and suitable candidates can continue their studies in Form VI or at the Polytechnic. Five subsidised secondary modern schools with an enrolment of 3,949 offer a three-year secondary course with a practical bias. There are also nine private and seven subsidised secondary schools with a total enrolment of 5,714 which offer some form of technical and trade training not leading to the Certificate of Education examination.

There has been a steady increase in the number of pupils enrolled in all types of secondary schools operated during the day. In September there were 336,986 such students, compared with 299,648 in the previous year. During the school year 12,901 new secondary places were provided in new school buildings. Furthermore, a total of 95,150 pupils entered the first year of secondary school. This represents the promotion of 83.6 per cent of the pupils completing primary schools. Of these pupils, 41.1 per cent were awarded government, government-aided or assisted places.

The government's aim is to provide by 1979, three years of aided secondary education for all children in the 12-14 age-group, with an interim target of providing places for 50 per cent of the age group by 1976. This interim target was almost achieved in September 1974 by providing the extra school places either directly in government or aided schools, in private non-profit making assisted schools, or by buying places in suitable private independent schools. For the 1974-5 school year 28,087 pupils have been awarded three-year assisted places on the results of the secondary school entrance examination. These places will be taken up in various private non-profit making and private independent schools.