ENG-1979 — Page 99

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Education

ONE of the major achievements in education in 1979 was that junior secondary education became compulsory for children up to the age of 14 from September, 1979. From Septem- ber, 1980, education will become compulsory-for children up to 15 years or Form 3. This follows the introduction of nine years' free schooling for every child in 1978.

To support this legislation, the power of the Director of Education to serve attendance orders on parents withholding children from school without reasonable excuse was extended. From September, 1979, it was extended to cover children up to the age of 14 and it will be extended to children under 15 in September, 1980.

Compulsory school attendance has also been reinforced with the extension of the minimum age of employment of 14 to the non-industrial sector from September, 1979; and the raising of the minimum age of employment from 14 to 15 from September, 1980. In Hong Kong, only a small number of children continue to pay for primary or junior secondary education - either because they attend English schools intended primarily, although not solely, for the expatriate community, or because they choose to attend fee- charging schools even though free schooling is available. The government's English schools were disestablished and handed over to the government-subvented English Schools Founda- tion in September, 1979.

Education is one of the government's largest financial commitments. Some $2,196 million - $1,949.7 million in recurrent expenditure and $246.1 million in capital expenditure - is being spent on education in the 1979-80 financial year.

Notable advances were made in education during 1979 with the implementation of many of the proposals contained in the government's White Paper on the Development of Senior Secondary and Tertiary Education, published in October, 1978. The White Paper presented proposals for the expansion and qualitative' improvement of all stages of education, in schools and other institutions, for those completing the nine-year period of compulsory and universal education.

An additional 19,400 secondary places were provided in new school buildings and extensions which were completed during the year. In accordance with the provisions of the White Paper, a further 33 new secondary schools are planned for completion by 1981 to achieve the target provision and to improve regional distribution.

The White Paper also proposed that all private non-profit-making schools, which were suitable and willing, should be brought by stages within the full scheme of assistance provided under a common Code of Aid. As a result, more than 70 private non-profit-making schools in the 'bought-places' scheme have been invited to participate in a four-phase conversion scheme into fully-aided schools. All new non-profit-making schools, which are completed after September, 1979, will operate on a fully-aided basis from the outset. A number of existing aided schools were also restructured from September, 1979,