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EDUCATION
Prevocational education provides for students a suitable introduction to craft apprenticeships, and considerable efforts are made to ensure that prevocational school leavers have the opportunity to enrol in recognised training schemes. Industrial accept- ance of prevocational training is showing an encouraging upward trend, as the value of the link between school and industrial employment becomes appreciated.
At present, all prevocational schools are operated with a government subsidy, and are located in areas of high industrial and commercial development. The existing schools are located at Wang Tau Hom, Hung Hom, Central District, Cheung Chau, Tsuen Wan and Aberdeen. Future development plans include new schools at Shek Kip Mei, Kwai Chung and Sau Mau Ping. These additional schools, together with expansion and development of existing schools, will provide a further 3,720 places by 1976.
Advisory Inspectorate
The Assistant Director (Chief Inspector of Schools), with the assistance of the Deputy Chief Inspector, is responsible for the work of the Advisory Inspectorate. The inspectorate's main function is the promotion of quality in the classroom. This work involves frequent visits to schools by specialist advisory inspectors, the develop- ment of advisory services and facilities, and the provision of courses, seminars and workshops for practising teachers. It also involves the evaluation of textbooks and other instructional materials, educational research and guidance, and curriculum development. Close liaison with other bodies, such as the various local examination authorities, is maintained by the Advisory Inspectorate.
A notable development during 1973 was the opening of the Chinese Language Teaching Centre which, like its well-established counterpart, the English Language Teaching Centre, is mainly concerned with the provision of refresher courses for teachers and the production of teaching materials designed to stimulate a more lively approach to language teaching than is usual with traditional methods.
In the important area of curriculum development, a pilot scheme in integrated science, initially for Form I has been introduced into 20 selected secondary schools. Other curriculum projects included experiments in the teaching of Chinese, English and geography in secondary schools. The organisation, supervision and evaluation of this experimental work is the responsibility of the Advisory Inspectorate, working in close collaboration with the appropriate curriculum development committees. The primary and secondary curriculum planning committees are mainly concerned with the formulation of educational objectives in keeping with the needs of the community, in line with their responsibility for the provision of programmes of curriculum renewal and innovation at the primary and secondary level.
Visual Education Centre
The Visual Education Centre of the Education Department loans a wide range of audio-visual media to schools. A large selection of modern equipment is on display at the centre which also houses photographic and graphic facilities.