ENG-1975 — Page 84

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Education

DEVELOPMENT in 1975 continued to centre on secondary and technical education and on the expansion programme for the Polytechnic. The interim target to provide three years of aided secondary education for 50 per cent of children in the 12-14 age group by 1976 was achieved in September 1975-one year ahead of schedule. Three technical institutes are now providing training facilities for craftsmen and technicians to meet the needs of industry. Two of these institutes-one in Kwun Tong and another in Kwai Chung-started courses in September. The Kwun Tong Technical Institute was officially opened by the Governor on October 24. A fourth technical institute, in Cheung Sha Wan, is under construction.

The White Paper on Education, published in October 1974, spelled out policy on the expansion of secondary education during the next decade. It stated that the government's main objective is to make available, by 1979, subsidised education for every child for nine years-six years in a primary school followed by three years in a secondary school. It also recommended that all children should follow a common course of instruction, with 25 to 30 per cent of it allocated to practical and technical subjects. -

In accordance with the White Paper, the Education Department went ahead on a trial basis with introducing a new curriculum for junior forms in secondary schools. This curriculum has a more practical content and is designed to suit the needs both of pupils intending to leave school after completing Form III and of pupils intending to enter Form IV and complete the five-year Certificate of Education course. First steps have also been taken to implement other policy decisions in the White Paper.

Following a decision by the Governor in Council, the Education Department is planning to set up, in two stages, a statutory authority to manage public examinations.

Under the Education Ordinance, the Director of Education is responsible for all matters relating to education in Hong Kong. He directly controls all government schools, while virtually all other schools are required to be registered under the ordinance, so providing the Director with the necessary powers to ensure that accept- able standards are maintained. The Director is also vice-chairman of the Board of Education which advises the Governor on educational matters.

Pre-primary Education

There are 811 kindergartens in Hong Kong providing education for 146,961 children in the three to six age group. These institutions are not maintained by the government but are registered with the Education Department and supervised by the