PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN 1964 (Number of children admitted)

Mr Koo Young asked the Minister for Education how many children were admitted to primary schools in 1964, giving figures separately for the four language streams and for government and aided schools.

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, Sir, it is presumed that the question refers to admissions to Primary I in 1964. The total number of children admitted to Primary I as on 31st January, 1964, is 56,128. The breakdown figures as on 31st January, 1964, are as follows:- No. admitted into Government Govt-Aided Total Stream Schools Schools Admissions Malay 4,619 - 4,619 Chinese 1,783 16,452 18,235 Tamil 36 319 355 English 29,489 3,430 32,919 Total 35,927 20,201 56,128

Mr Koo Young (Thomson): (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Minister for Education this. According to the figures given by him, we find that in 1964 Primary I new entrants in respect of Chinese schools and English schools, the figures differ very much as between each other. There is a great difference between the admissions into the Chinese schools and those into the English schools. Has the Minister found a reason for this great disparity in the figures of admission into these two respective streams? I invite him to give his comments and the reasons for the disparity.

Mr Ong Pang Boon: Mr Speaker, we leave the choice entirely to the parents. In fact, I think the proper persons to answer the question will be the parents themselves.