ENG-1977 — Page 120

EDUCATION

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gymnastics, trampolining, canoeing, athletics and various games and sports for schools. More than 30,000 students took part in these activities during 1977.

The section also supported the Hong Kong Schools Sports Council in holding the inter-port schools' competitions between Macau and Hong Kong. The schools' international swimming championships for South-east Asian countries were held in Hong Kong from December 1 to 3.

The section was responsible for organising and co-ordinating Princess Alexandra's visit to Ocean Park on February 5, when 5,000 school children from Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang attended.

The Education Department organised a Hong Kong Schools' Chinese dance team to take part in the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in the United Kingdom in late July. The team, comprising 12 girls and four boys from seven secondary schools, was led by two inspectors from the Physical Education Section. It toured 10 major cities in the United Kingdom and gave a total of 18 performances that were extremely well received. These school-based activities are separate from those of the Recreation and Sport Service, which are covered in Chapter One.

Hong Kong Students in Britain

The Student Section of the Hong Kong Government Office in London is responsible for keeping records of all Hong Kong students in Britain who registered with the Education Department before leaving Hong Kong. The section helps these students find places in universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, colleges of further education and other educational institutions in Britain. The section is responsible for exercising broad supervision over their progress and general welfare during their studies or training. It also advises on courses that will help students find employment in Hong Kong or elsewhere on completion of their studies. Nurses under training receive the same service.

The Student Section maintains close relations with the government and, particularly, the Education Department in Hong Kong, the Overseas Development Administration and other British Government departments, the British Council, and educational establishments and hospitals where Hong Kong students are receiving training.

In December, 1977, the records listed some 9,624 students, including students on sandwich courses and nurse trainees. New arrivals during the academic year totalled 1,669, compared with 1,698 the previous year. The newcomers included 754 students for General Certificate of Education courses and 17 for basic or post-registration qualifications in nursing. Student visitors to the section totalled 988. Inquiries about financial assistance continued to figure high because of the effect of inflation in Britain and further proposed increases in tuition fees. In addition, a large number of students contacted the section for advice about the correct procedure to follow when applying to renew student visas and about employment prospects on returning to Hong Kong. During the academic year, 1,641 applications on behalf of 651 students were made to polytechnics and colleges. A total of 825 students made direct applications to uni- versities through the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) under the guidance and sponsorship of the Education Department in Hong Kong. The Student Section liaised with the Education Department when results of the UCCA applications were known.

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