1
EDUCATION BRANCH PROGRESS REPORT
1 AUGUST 1981 TO 31 OCTOBER 1981
3
Part II
G
Important Issues
Subject
5. Secondary School Expansion
Programme
€. Hong Kong Students
Overseas.
7. Use of Language in
Education
8. Reorganisation of Technical
Edation and Industrial Thing
Purpose
To ensure that the approved secondary schools building programme proceeds on schedule.
To consider Hong Kong's needs and responses in the light of the new levels of 'full-cost' fees charged to Hong Kong students in tertiary institutions in the U.K.
To strengthen the teaching of language in schools, and to review the policy on the language of instruction in secondary schools
To strengthen the organi- sational framework for technical education and industrial training and to achieve better integration .. between them.
Progress made and present position
The Schools Building Review Committee met on 8 October and the Schools Building Programme was revised to take account of progress on school development.
The emergency loan scheme for Hong Kong students in U.K. has operated satis- factorily and been replaced by the long term loan scheme which started in September 81. The London Office will be reviewing this scheme to assess its effectiveness.
(a) A Working Party to establish the Chinese
Language Foundation has been formed under the chairmanship of the Hon. Alex S.C. Wu.
(b) Planning is in hand for an Institute of
Language in Education to commence operation in September 82 to train non-graduate teachers of English and Chinese, and also undertake research and design of resource materials for the teaching and learning of English and Chinese. An FCai is under pre- paration.
(a) First draft bill to establish the Vocational Training Council (VTC) (which is to replace the non-statutory Hong Kong Training Council) was received in mid-October.
Next quarter target
To monitor progress.
To maintain routine monitoring of the long term loan scheme.
Action completed.
To present the FCai for approval of fund for staffing, accommodation and equipment.
To submit the draft bill to ExCo and to finalize arrangements
for the VTC and the future department.