ENG-1983 — Page 109

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EDUCATION

As a further measure to improve the quality of education, a third additional graduate teacher was provided in September for every standard-sized secondary school in the public sector. This enables schools to increase the provision of remedial teaching in subjects other than Chinese and English, pupil counselling and guidance (including careers advice), and community involvement and other extra-curricular activities which complement and reinforce the formal curriculum.

Secondary education continued to expand to meet the target set out in the 1978 White Paper on the Development of Senior Secondary and Tertiary Education. Of the 130 secondary schools in the School Building Programme planned in line with the target, 98 have been completed. Six of these schools were completed during the year providing 6 960 additional places.

Under the auspices of the British Council a consultant architect, who previously worked for the Department of Education and Science in the United Kingdom, visited Hong Kong for three weeks in April and May to review and advise on school buildings.

Kindergartens

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In September, there were 724 kindergartens in Hong Kong providing pre-school education for about 209 869 children in the three-to-five age group. These private institutions are supervised by officers of the Education Department, whose professional advice is freely available to school managers, teachers, parents and the public. In-service training for teachers is provided through seminars, exhibitions and training courses, including a two-year part-time course conducted at the Grantham College of Education and a 12-week part-time course run twice yearly by the Advisory Inspectorate of the Education Depart- ment, with an intake of 360 teachers for both courses.

In March, a draft curriculum for kindergartens, compiled by the Kindergarten Educa- tion Sub-Committee of the Curriculum Development Committee, was sent out to all kindergartens and educational bodies for comment. Other government assistance includes allocation of premises and reimbursement of rents and rates to non-profit-making kinder- gartens in public housing estates, and fee assistance to needy parents. During the year, the regulations on kindergarten education were amended to bring about improvements proposed in the 1981 White Paper on Primary Education and Pre-primary Services.

Primary Education

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Primary education has been free in all government schools and in nearly all aided schools since September 1971. In the few aided primary schools where fees are charged, they may be remitted up to 20 per cent of the total enrolment to meet cases of genuine hardship. To help needy parents further, an annual textbook grant of up to $135 per pupil is available to a maximum of 25 per cent of pupils enrolled in government and aided primary schools. A minority of parents continue to send their children to private schools, although places are available for them in the public sector.

In September, the primary school enrolment totalled 539 856 compared with 538 458 the previous year. In addition, 7 424 pupils attended primary-level night schools for adults. During the past year, 19 220 primary places were provided in new and developing schools and more are planned to meet the needs of developing areas, particularly in the new towns in the New Territories. Of the 76 200 children who took part in the newly introduced Primary I Admission System, 43 434 or 57 per cent were allocated discretionary places in schools of their choice. The remaining children were centrally allocated places in schools in their own districts by the Education Department.

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