The Government has been urged to provide incentives to encourage more schools to join its so-called through-train system, under which primary and secondary establishments with similar philosophies are encouraged to link up.
Under the new system, due to begin in September 2003, primary school pupils can automatically be admitted to a linked secondary school without having to pass any examinations.
Assistant Director of Education Lee Kwok-sung estimated yesterday that between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of SAR schools would eventually join the scheme. There are about 1,200 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.
The Education Commission has recommended the scheme, which ensures the continuity of primary and secondary curriculums and helps alleviate the problems students have adapting to secondary school.
Commission member Tai Hay-lap predicted that existing feeder primary and secondary schools, which were mostly elite schools, as well as new schools, were more likely to join the through-train scheme.
However, Cheung Man-kwong, the legislator who represents the education sector, said the Government should provide more incentives. 'The Government should allocate more sites to sponsoring bodies planning to run through-train schools. It should set up a fund to subsidise the bodies that espouse these educational ideals,' he said.
Mr Lee said three schools which opened in September had started to operate on the through-train model by running primary and secondary schools at the same sites. 'The School Allocation Committee is expected to allocate sites to a number of sponsoring bodies running the through-train scheme in coming weeks.'