ON
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1974
EMPHASIS ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION
UNDER THE PROPOSED PLAN OF EXPANSION EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
THE WHITE PAPER SAID: +THE INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED INDUSTRIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEXT DECADE WILL BEST BE MET BY PROVIDING WORKERS WITH A BASIC MINIMUM NINE-YEAR COURSE OF GENERAL EDUCATION BUT WITH A PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CONTENT OF 25 - 30 PER CENT. THIS WILL PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH FURTHER INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CAN BE GIVEN.+
THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY EMBARKED UPON A SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAMME OF BUILDING TECHNICAL INSTITUTES STARTING WITH MORRISON HILL, AND A FURTHER FOUR ARE ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE PLANNING STAGE.
THE QUESTION OF A FURTHER EXPANSION IN THIS FIELD WILL DEPEND UPON THE LONG-TERM ACCEPTABILITY OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTE TRAINEES TO INDUSTRY.
ALTHOUGH THE EMPHASIS IN THE WHITE PAPER IS ON THE NEED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PLACES AND ON THE WAYS BY WHICH THESE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, THE GOVERNMENT IS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE DESIRABILITY OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
+WITH THIS IN MIND, STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS TO MEET THE RAPID EXPANSION PLANNED FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND THE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS REQUIRED FOR 'BOUGHT' PLACES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE EARLY EXTENSION OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IS UNDER CONSIDERATION.
+ THE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES WILL CONTINUE TO EXAMINE SYLLABUSES, WITH A VIEW TO MAKING THEM MORE RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF PUPILS IN A CHANGING AND MORE DEMANDING SOCIETY,+ THE WHITE PAPER SAID.
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
IN THE PAST SECONDARY EDUCATION HAS BEEN CONDUCTED MAINLY THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH. NOW THAT IT IS INTENDED TO MAKE SECONDARY EDUCATION IN FORMS 1 TO 3 AVAILABLE TO ALL, IT IS APPROPRIATE TO REVIEW THIS PRACTICE.
ON EDUCATIONAL GROUNDS THERE ARE STRONG ARGUMENTS FOR MAINTAINING THAT THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FOR CHILDREN AGED 12 - 14 SHOULD BE CHINESE.
+HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. HONG KONG IS A COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CENTRE WHICH HAS REACHED A HIGH LEVEL OF TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SOPHISTICATION AND HAS ESTABLISHED CLOSE CONTACTS ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT HONG KONG, IF IT IS TO HAINTAIN ITS PROGRESS, WILL CONTINUE TO NEED PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS IN COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND THE PROFESSIONS WHO ARE AT HOME IN ENGLISH AS WELL AS IN CHINESE.
AFUR THESE
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