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SCMP Reporter

The availability of education opportunities indicates the pace of development of human resources.

  Enrolment statistics provide us with an objective assessment of education opportunities in Hong Kong.

  In 1995, the numbers of pupils enrolled in kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools (including both day and evening secondary schools) were 180,000, 468,000 and 471,000 respectively.

  By relating the enrolment number at a given level of education to the number of people in the age group considered appropriate for that level of education, we obtain the enrolment ratio.

  A higher ratio would imply more education opportunities.

  Since free and compulsory education is available in Hong Kong for primary and junior secondary levels, enrolment ratios for the relevant age groups are very high.

  For example, if we express the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in 1995 (that is 468,000) as a percentage of the number of children aged six to 11 in the same period, we obtain an enrolment ratio of 101 per cent.

  Due to some over-aged or under-aged pupils, the number of pupils at a certain level of education is sometimes greater than the number of children whose ages are appropriate for that level of education, resulting in an enrolment ratio of over 100 per cent.

  On the other hand, the enrolment ratio for teenagers aged 15 to 16 rose from 84 per cent in 1985 to around 90 per cent in the past few years, indicating improvement in education opportunities at the upper secondary level.

  Even more significant is the improvement in education opportunities at the sixth and seventh forms.

  Enrolment ratio for teenagers aged 17 to 18 increased substantially from 20 per cent in 1985 to 33 per cent in 1995.

  Apart from the availability of school places, quality of education is also important.

  A useful statistical indicator in this respect is the pupil-teacher ratio which relates the number of pupils to the number of teachers. A smaller pupil-teacher ratio means that, on average, a smaller number of pupils are taught by a teacher, generally implying that the pupils are probably better taken care of.

  The pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools improved from 28 per teacher in 1985 to 24 in 1995, and that in secondary schools improved from 29 to 21 over the same period.

  In addition, there have also been many developments in tertiary education.

  The opening of the University of Science and Technology, the change to university status for the former City Polytechnic, Baptist College and Polytechnic, and the establishment of the Hong Kong Institute of Language in Education are among the more important developments in recent years.

  As a result of improvements in education opportunities, the general education level of Hong Kong people has risen significantly.

  According to results of the General Household Survey which is regularly conducted by the Census and Statistics Department, over 65 per cent of the population aged 15 or above in 1995 had attained at least secondary education, compared with 55 per cent in 1985.

For more information on this series of articles, please write to the General Statistics Branch (2) of the Census & Statistics Department at Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, or call 2582 4732.



Improved enrolment in schools