SCHOOLS (Number, 1952-58; Secondary Schools: places available,entrance examinations, 1952-59)

Mr A. R. Lazarous asked the Minister for Education to state-

(a) the number of Primary and Secondary Schools functioning during each of the years 1952 to 1958;

(b) the number of pupils who sat for the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination and the number of places available in Secondary School during the years 1952 to 1958:

(c) the estimated number of pupils who will sit for the Secondary Schools Entrance Examiniation at the end of 1959; the number of places available for them in Secondary Schools; and what plan the Government has for educational facility for those who fail in the Examination.

Mr Chew Swee Kee: (a) The number of Primary and Secondary Schools functioning during each of the years 1952 to 1958 was as follows: 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 Primary Government 109 106 147 169 194 230 253 Aided 105 130 225 257 256 258 257 Unaided 234 220 147 102 95 79 76 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Total 448 456 519 528 545 567 586 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 Secondary Government 8 10 11 14 20 27 30 Aided 2 4 4 30 51 56 59 Unaided 21 44 44 23 27 28 29 -- -- -- -- -- --- --- Total 31 58 59 67 98 111 118 -- -- -- -- -- --- ---

(b) (i) Number of pupils who sat for the Secondary Schools Entrance Examiniation during the years 1952 to 1958:- No. of Primary VI pupils No. of pupils who actually sat for in the Examinations in 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1,967 2,500 4,307 3,976 4,705 6,201 14,719 (ii) Number of places available in Secondary Schools during the years 1952 to 1958:- 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1,123 1,321 1,500 2,405 2,942 3,323 7,240

(c) (i) Estimated number of candidates sitting the examination at the end of 1959 ... 16,623

(ii) Estimated number of places available at the end of 1959 ... 6,160

(iii) The following provisions apply to failures in the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination : -

(a) Repeating of Primary VI examinations by pupils of the proper age.

(b) the border-zone cases for Government evening classes for commercial and secondary education.

(iv) Government is at present considering the abolition of the Secondary Schools Entrance Examination in order that the school leaving age of those who do not make the grade may be raised.