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our current work programme. This examination of the Health Inspectors' claim has involved extensive research and investigation.
The present position is that appointment to the rank of Health Inspector requires possession of the Royal Society of Health "Diploma in Public Health Inspection for General Overseas Appointments". Recruits enter the grade as students and undergo two years' training for the Diploma. The minimum basic educational requirement for taking this Diploma examination and thus for appointment to the student rank is passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination at grade C or above in English, Mathematics and Science. For this reason, the pay scale for the student rank is set at school certificate level.
For advancement in the grade, Health Inspectors
This is either the are required to obtain a further Diploma. Royal Society of Health "Diploma for Inspectors of Meat and Other Foods" or the "Diploma of the Institute of Solid Wastes Management". The qualification for entry for the examinations for these Diplomas is possession of the Diploma in Public Health Inspection for General Overseas Appointments, that is to say, the Diploma required for appointment as a Health Inspector.
In presenting their case to us the Public Health Inspectors' Association focussed on the need to raise the educational entry qualification for the student rank from school certificate to matriculation. The main points made in support of their claim can be summarised as follows :
(a) The Science and Mathematics content of some of the
Diploma courses taken by Health Inspectors is now such that school certificate holders have been finding it increasingly difficult to pass the examinations particularly for the Diploma of the Institute of Solid Wastes Management. The Association has therefore suggested that results could be improved and standards raised if the minimum qualification for Student Health Inspectors was raised to matriculation level.
(b)
(c)
The duties of Health Inspector include work corresponding to that performed by Executive Officers, e.g. the preparation of memoranda, minutes and reports. Again, the Association has suggested that, if this type of work is to be performed adequately, an educational background above that of school certificate is necessary.
As Health Inspectors can advance to the rank of Senior Superintendent of Urban Services and exceptionally may be promoted into the Directorate, the Association has expressed the view that to
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