ENG-1988 — Page 144

EDUCATION

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Five serving kindergarten teachers were seconded, by courtesy of their employers, to serve on the Education Department's kindergarten curriculum development team to help in producing teaching resources. Staff of the Kindergarten Section also produced a series of leaflets with suggested activities for teachers to use.

The curriculum development committee's kindergarten education committee completed the Chinese version of 'Guidelines on Nursery Class Activities', which contain suggestions for designing activities for three-year-olds. This was issued to schools in June 1988.

Primary Education

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, the fees may be remitted in cases of hardship. To assist needy parents, an annual textbook grant of up to $270 a pupil is also available to a maximum of 25 per cent of pupils enrolled in government and aided primary schools. Some parents continue to send their children to the 81 private schools, although places are available in the public sector.

Most primary schools operate on a bisessional basis, with children attending either a morning or an afternoon session. In October the government announced that a programme was being drawn up to convert schools to whole-day operation.

In September, primary school enrolment totalled 535 037 compared with 534 309 in the previous year. Enrolment in primary-level evening schools for adults totalled 1 474. During the year, 19 primary schools were completed, providing 35 520 primary school places. Of these schools, 16 were located in the developing new towns to cater for the needs of their growing populations.

Of the 81 343 children who took part in the sixth cycle of the Primary One Admission System, 46 116 or 56.69 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 school internal assessments, scaled by a centrally-administered Academic Aptitude Test, with allocation taking account of parental choice. In July, 85 407 Primary 6 pupils participating in the SSPA were allocated Secondary 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.

Modifications to the system were made in-1988. These included the reduction of the number of school nets from 25 to 19, the setting up of a single SSPA Advisory Committee and a new method of filling discretionary places. From 1989, new links between some primary and secondary schools under the nominated schools scheme may be permitted.

The Student Guidance Section provided guidance to 809 primary schools, covering a pupil population of 426 905.

Secondary Education

Provision of secondary education continued to meet the approved policy targets. During the year, 11 secondary schools, including four prevocational schools, were completed, providing 12 120 school places. Another 23 new secondary schools, planned for completion between 1989 and 1993, were included in the Secondary School Building Programme for reprovisioning schools from areas of surplus to areas where there is a demand for