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course for those students who leave school before completing the
full two-year course. It is therefore important to have some recognition
for the work covered in the first year. Although the actual range of
subjects need not necessarily be increased, the coverage needs to be less
intensively academic at present. However, the curriculum must retain a
sufficient degree of specialization to provide students with an adequate
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preparation for their intended field of study or occupation. Moreover,
the overall academic standard should meet the requirements for overseas
recognition. There should be sufficient options open to students to
allow them a choice of tertiary institutions, yet not every option should
be dependent on a separate examination, otherwise students would be
inclined to take too many examinations and thus be distracted from their
normal course of study. The curriculum should take into account the
entrance requirements of tertiary institutions but not be unduly influenced
by them. The Committee recognises that not all of these requirements will
be met in the short term and that any long-term solution must strike an
acceptable balance between them. It is also conscious of the fact that
so long as the provision of tertiary places falls short of demand the
competition for places will be keen. Broadening the curriculum would not
of itself remove this competition and the tendency for schools to push up
the level of academic preparation is likely to remain." (In this context
it could be added that as the number of public-sector sixth-form places
continues to grow, as determined by 1978 White Paner policy, the pressure
for tertiary education can be expected to increase correspondingly.
though a larger proportion of the age group will be able to enter full-
time tertiary education as a result of the recent increase in the annual
growth rate of the universities from 3 to 4 per cent, the number of Form VI
leavers who fail to obtain full-time tertiary education of any kind will
not decrease. Of this latter group, however, not all will be qualified
to proceed to tertiary education and some will obtain places on part-