ENG-1987 — Page 134

EDUCATION

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ten curriculum development team to assist with the production of teaching resource materials.

The curriculum development committee's kindergarten education committee completed the draft Chinese version of 'Guidelines on Nursery Class Activities in Kindergartens', providing suggestions to schools in planning activities for three-year-olds.

Primary Education

Primary education has been free of charge in all government schools and in nearly all aided schools since September 1971. In the few aided primary schools where fees are charged, fees may be remitted in cases of genuine hardship. To assist needy parents, an annual textbook grant of up to $255 per pupil is also 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 the 83 private primary schools, although places are available in the public sector.

In September, the primary school enrolment totalled 534 309 compared with 531 993 in the previous year. Enrolment in primary-level evening schools for adults totalled 1 550. During the year, 19 new primary schools were completed providing 36 480 primary school places. Fifteen of these schools were located in the developing new towns to cater for the needs of the growing population.

Of the 82 135 children who took part in the fifth cycle of the Primary One Admission System, 46 106 or 56.13 per cent were allocated discretionary places in schools of their parents' choice. The remainder were allocated places in schools in their own districts, account again being taken of parental preference.

Primary 6 leavers are allocated junior secondary school places in the public sector through the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) System. The system is based on internal school assessments, scaled by a centrally administered Academic Aptitude Test, allocation taking account of parental choice. In July, 86 618 Primary 6 pupils participating in the SSPA were allocated Form 1 places in government schools, aided schools, private non-profit-making schools in receipt of per caput grants, and private independent schools in the 'bought place' scheme.

Preparations were underway for the implementation in 1988 of modifications to the system. These include the provision of new linkages in the nominated school scheme under exceptional circumstances, the reduction of the existing 25 school nets to 19 in line with district administration boundaries, the setting up of a single SSPA Advisory Committee to replace the existing SSPA Central Committee and the District Councils, and new pro- cedures for handling discretionary places.

The Student Guidance Scheme provides a school social work service to 768 primary school sessions, covering a pupil population of 394 022.

Secondary Education

Provision of secondary education continued to expand to meet approved policy targets. During the year, 12 new secondary schools, including two prevocational schools, were completed, providing 13 600 school places. An additional 23 new secondary schools planned for completion between 1989 and 1993 were included in the secondary school building programme for the reprovisioning of substandard secondary schools to areas where there is a demand for secondary school places.

There are four main types of secondary school in Hong Kong: Anglo-Chinese grammar schools, Chinese middle schools, technical schools and prevocational schools. There were