15
Wednesday, November 28, 1973
Replying to some specific points raised by Unofficial Members
earlier in the debate on the Governor's speech, Mr. Canning said Mr.
Wilson Wang was quite correct when he said that teacher training was a
pre-requisite for the implementation of all educational developments.
Mr. Wang's remarks would certainly be borne in mind when the
White Paper was being drafted.
The Director then answered a point raised by Mr. Li Fook-wo
regarding entry qualifications for the Colleges of Education,
"The stipulated qualifications for entry are, in fact, qualifications
for application for entry," said Mr. Canning,
"These are deliberately kept at a minimally acceptable level in
order to cast the recruitment net as widely as possible, and in order not
to miss the suitable candidate whose purely academic qualification may be
slightly lower than that of others with higher 'paper' qualifications
but who may be equally suited to the teaching profession.
"In practical terms, it has been found possible to raise the level
of qualification for application in September 1973 while preserving this
desirable flexibility, and it is anticipated that, as general educational
standards in Hong Kong rise, it should be possible to make progressive
further increases in qualification for application."
Technical Education
On technical education, Mr. Canning said:
"Steady progress
has been nade during the year in the field of technical education".
The expansion