Education in Hong Kong, 1941 to 2001 Visions and Revisions Anthony Sweetin g # m * * * iss t *t HONG KON G UNIVERSIT Y PRES S Hong Kon g Universit y Pres s 14/F Hin g Wa i Centr e 7 Tin Wan Pray a Roa d Aberdeen Hong Kon g © Hong Kon g Universit y Pres s 200 4 ISBN 96 2 20 9 67 5 1 All right s reserved . N o portio n o f thi s publicatio n ma y b e reproduce d or transmitte d i n an y for m o r b y an y means , electronic o r mechanical , including photocopy , recording , o r an y informatio n storag e o r retrieva l system, without prio r permissio n i n writin g fro m th e publisher . British Librar y Cataloguing-in-Publicatio n Dat a A catalogu e recor d fo r thi s boo k i s availabl e fro m th e Britis h Library . Secure On-lin e Orderin g http: / / ww w. hkupress. org Printed an d boun d b y Pre-Pres s Limited , Hon g Kong , Chin a Hong Kon g Universit y Pres s i s honoure d tha t X u Bing , whos e ar t explores th e comple x theme s o f languag e acros s cultures , ha s writte n the Press' s nam e i n hi s Squar e Wor d Calligraphy . Thi s signal s ou r commitment t o cross-cultural thinking and th e distinctive nature o f ou r English-language book s publishe d i n China . ffi "At firs t glance , Square Wor d Calligraph y appear s t o be nothing mor e unusual than Chinese characters, but in fact it is a new way o f rendering English word s i n th e forma t o f a squar e s o the y resembl e Chines e characters. Chines e viewer s expec t t o b e abl e t o rea d Squar e Wor d Calligraphy but cannot. Western viewers, however ar e surprised t o fin d they ca n rea d it . Deligh t erupt s whe n meanin g i s unexpectedl y revealed/' — Britta Erickson, The Art ofXu Bing CONTENTS Preface vi i Abbreviations i x List o f illustration s xii i Introduction: Vision s an d Revision s 1 Commentary 1 Chronicle 1 0 Evidence 1 1 Part One : Occupationa l Hazard s (An d Therapy?) , 1942-194 5 8 1 Commentary 8 1 Chronicle 8 8 Evidence 10 1 Part Two: Reconstruction , expansion , an d transformation , 13 7 1945-1964 Commentary 13 7 Chronicle 16 0 Evidence 17 6 Part Three: Policy , Pressur e Groups , an d Paper s — O n th e Wa y 23 7 to Mas s Access , 1965-198 4 Commentary 23 7 Chronicle 25 1 Evidence 28 7 Part Four : Plannin g fo r a More Certai n Future , 1985-199 7 36 5 Commentary 36 5 Chronicle 38 0 Evidence 45 4 VI CONTENTS Part Five : A Mor e Certai n Futur e — Th e Pleasure s an d Peril s 52 3 of Post-colonialism , 199 7 t o th e New Millenniu m Commentary 52 3 Chronicle 52 8 Evidence 58 2 Bibliography 64 3 Index 655 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration Page No. Introduction: Table 1 : Distribution o f Evidenc e accordin g t o Level s o r Aspect s o f 7 Education Figure 1 : Enrolments b y Leve l o f Schooling , 1955-199 1 4 4 Figure 2 : Enrolments b y Metho d o f Finance , 1966-199 1 4 4 Figures 3 : Charts showin g Enrolment s b y Leve l and Gende r 4 5 Figure 4 : Proportion o f Tota l Governmen t Expenditur e devote d t o 4 6 Education, 1966-199 1 Figure 5 : Government Expenditur e o n Educatio n b y Leve l o f Schoolin g 4 6 Figure 6 : Data concernin g schoo l desig n 47-5 1 Figure 7 : Main Post-wa r Developments : a multi-dimensional time-char t 5 2 Figure 8 : An Educatio n Polic y Matri x fo r Post-wa r Hon g Kon g 5 2 Cartoon o n Bridge s an d Dropout s 5 3 Photograph (i) : The Righ t Rev . Ronald O . Hall, , the Anglican Bisho p o f 5 4 Hong Kon g an d Maca u Photograph (ii) : Mr. L.G . Morgan an d Dr . Phili p Tya u 55 Photograph (iii) : The Provisiona l Join t Counci l o f St . Paul's College , 5 6 1949 Photographs (iv) : Map showin g locatio n o f school s i n a part o f Hong 57 Kong Islan d an d a n aeria l photograph o f th e sam e are a Photograph (v) : Mr. D.J.S . Crozier 5 8 Part 1: Extracts fro m Japanes e Censu s o f Hon g Kong , 194 3 102-10 6 Adult Educatio n — Japanese Internmen t Camp , Stanley, Hong Kon g 108-10 9 (Classified accordin g t o subjects ) Table Showing Positio n o f Majo r Charitabl e Organization s relate d t o 12 5 Education a t Decembe r 194 2 XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Allocation o f Subsidie s b y th e General Associatio n o f Chines e Charitie s 12 6 (founded i n Septembe r 1942 ) t o education-relate d organization s Cartoon o f Educatio n i n Hon g Kon g unde r Japanes e Occupatio n 12 7 Photograph o f a Japanese Teache r an d hi s Chines e Pupil s a t th e To a 12 7 Gakuin The Mai n Buildin g o f th e Universit y o f Hon g Kong , immediately afte r 12 8 the Japanes e Occupatio n o f Hon g Kon g Photograph o f a n Applicatio n t o attend a Japanese Languag e Schoo l 13 5 by a Chinese adul t residen t o f Hong Kon g i n 194 4 Page fro m a Japanese languag e textbook , hel d i n th e Centra l Library , 13 6 Garden Road , Hong Kong , 194 4 Part 2: Table showin g ol d an d ne w way s o f referrin g t o Primar y Schoo l 18 5 classes and Secondar y Schoo l form s Table showin g th e founder-member s o f th e Gran t School s Counci l 19 1 Changing Educationa l Pyramid s o f Hong Kong , 1947-196 4 20 9 Organization Chart s fo r th e Educatio n Department , 1946-49 , 1951-52, 21 0 and 195 8 Summary Table s o f th e Reconstructio n o f Schoolin g i n Postwa r Hong Kong : (i) Th e Earl y Reconstructio n Phas e (c . 1945-c . 1949 ) 211-21 2 (ii) Th e Late r Reconstructio n Phase , c . 1950-195 4 212-21 4 (iii) Th e Seve n Yea r Pla n i n Actio n 214-22 1 Photograph (i) : The Educatio n Departmen t 22 1 Photograph (ii) : Demonstration Lesso n a t Grantha m Trainin g Colleg e 22 2 Photograph (iii) : Art Lesso n a t Northcot e Trainin g Colleg e 22 2 Photograph (iv) : Oral Englis h a t Northcot e Trainin g Colleg e 22 3 Po Ko k Schoo l i n Happy Valle y 22 3 Typing clas s i n a commercia l schoo l 22 4 Shoemaking i n a Trade Schoo l 22 4 Extra-curricular activities : a schoo l harmonic a ban d broadcastin g 22 5 A Persona l Aspec t o f th e "194 6 Outlook" 22 5 Student's Repor t Car d 22 9 Front Cove r an d tw o page s fro m a popular Geograph y textbook , 231-23 3 early 1960 s Front cove r an d sampl e page s o f a typica l schoo l textboo k o n Chines e 234-23 6 language/letter writing , 1950 s LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS XV Part 3: Analysis o f SSE E Data, containe d i n th e Annual Report: Secondary 31 2 School Entrance Examination, Educatio n Department , 197 3 Figures 1 : The Education Departmen t i n 197 5 and i n 198 0 313-31 4 Cartoon: Pre-schoo l o r Prep-school ? 31 5 Cartoon: Dangerou s Structur e 31 6 Summary Table s (i) : Predictable Polic y Developments , 1965-8 4 317-32 4 Summary Table s (ii) : Less Predictabl e Polic y Developments , 1965-8 4 324-32 7 Summary Table s (iii) : Policy-Related Papers , 1965-8 4 327-33 9 Summary Table s (iv) : Other Education-Relate d Paper s 340-34 1 Photograph (i) : Rooftop Schoo l o n a Resettlemen t Block , c . 196 6 34 1 Photograph (ii) : Students protestin g i n 196 7 34 2 Photograph (iii ) Extra-curricula r activitie s a t TWG H Schools : 34 2 Painting b y a Primary 6 pupi l Photograph (iv ) Extra-curricula r activitie s a t TWG H Schools : Model 34 3 of a Far m Photograph (v) : Extra-curricular activitie s a t TWG H Schools : 34 3 Mountain climbin g Typing lesso n a t th e Ebeneze r Schoo l and Hom e fo r th e Blind , 197 6 34 4 School Timetable s 357-35 8 Children's handwor k (fro m th e Kindergarte n Clas s 2 C A.M.