EDUCATION
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special educational needs. An eight-week retraining course for primary school teachers is run at Grantham College of Education and a refresher training course for serving secondary school teachers at Northcote College of Education. In September, there were 1 371 students in the three-year full-time course; 1 156 students in the two-year full-time course; 58 students in the advanced course; and a total of 1 850 students in the in-service training and retraining courses.
Technical teacher training is offered by the Hong Kong Technical Teachers' College. The college trains technical teachers for secondary and prevocational schools. A one-year full-time course is available for mature students who are well qualified and experienced in a technical field and have decided to take up technical teaching as a career. Substantial grants are offered to attract suitable recruits from commerce and industry. A three-year full-time course is open to secondary school leavers who have prior studies in either technical or commercial subjects. The college also offers in-service courses for teachers, including the Advanced Course of Teacher Education in Design and Technology, and courses for supervisors and instructors employed in industry. An additional advanced course in commercial subjects will be offered in 1985. In September, there were 189 students in the full-time courses and 210 students in the part-time and short courses.
Financial assistance in the form of interest-free loans and maintenance grants is provided
the government for students enrolled in full-time courses at the four colleges. The Institute of Language in Education (ILE), established in September 1982 as part of the government's multi-million dollar language package to improve language standards, conducts refresher courses for primary school teachers of Chinese and English. The main objectives of the refresher courses are to introduce teachers to recent developments in Chinese and English language teaching theory and practice, and to provide them with the opportunity to improve their own language proficiency in English and Putonghua. In its second academic year, the institute conducted two four-month refresher courses for 400 primary school teachers.
The institute plans to expand the refresher courses to accommodate 1 000 non-graduate primary and secondary language teachers each year, starting from September 1986. It is also developing a resource centre of language teaching materials and a modest programme of research and publication began in March.
Adult Education
The Adult Education Section of the Education Department provides a wide range of courses and recreational activities for adults and young people who no longer attend formal education courses in day schools. These courses and activities are provided by the Evening School of Higher Chinese Studies, the Evening Institute, 17 Adult Education and Recreation Centres, and 39 subvented voluntary organisations.
A credit unit system for the diploma course, offering studies in Chinese literature, philosophy and sociology to secondary school leavers, is run by the Evening School of Higher Chinese Studies. It may be completed over three to five years by taking 12 basic core units of the diploma course and 18 other units in aspects of Chinese classics and culture. Enrolment increased by 500 to more than 1 800.
The 110 centres of the Evening Institute offer courses ranging from literacy to secondary and post-secondary studies. A general Adult Education Course provides education at primary level to meet the needs and interests of adults. Practical courses teach such skills as sewing, knitting, cookery and woodwork. There are also two courses at secondary school level - the Secondary School Course and the Government Secondary School Course for