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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1974.
UNOFFICIALS GIVE GENERAL SUPPORT TO EDUCATION WHITE PAPER
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DESPITE THE CRITICISM ON THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED EDUCATION WHITE PAPER, MRS. JOYCE SYMONS INDICATED THAT THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IS NOT AS BAD AS SOME PEOPLE THINK.
SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, SHE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE WHITE PAPER WAS NOT A DETAILED BLUE-PRINT IT DID OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DETAILED PLANNING.
AFTER MANY YEARS OF WORK AS A TEACHER, MRS. SYMONS WAS CONVINCED THAT THERE IS IN OUR SYSTEM HERE A QUITE EXTRA- ORDINARY MARGIN OF LEEWAY LEFT TO THE INDIVIDUAL PROFESSOR, LECTURER, PRINCIPAL OR TEACHER.+
+THIS FREEDOM OF CHOICE FOR THE SCHOOL APPEARS TO ME TO BE RETAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER.EY IMPLICATION AND IT IS A FREEDOM THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNISED AND ACCLAIMED ENTHUSIASTICALLY.+
WHILE AGREEING WITH THE CRITICISM OF THE WHITE PAPER THAT URGED A DEFINITE PHILOSOPHY, AND WITH ANOTHER THAT URGED MORE EXACT DETAILS OF THE CURRICULUM AND THE PROPOSED JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION, MRS. SYMONS WAS AMAZED THAT PEOPLE HAD ATTACKED THIS FREEDOM OF CHOICE AS WISHY-WASHY.
+THERE ARE NOT MANY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AT A LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY OR NATIONAL LEVEL THAT PROVIDE AS MUCH FREEDOM AS IS INHERENT IN HONG KONG,+ SHE SAID,
TURNING TO THE MANY SYLLABUSES BEING DESIGNED IN THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, MRS. SYMONS SAID THEY MIGHT WELL BE THE ONES THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANTED, BUT SHE ADDED THAT THEY HAD TO BE MORE WIDELY PUBLICISED TO BE ASSESSED.
SHE THEN REFERRED TO THE PROPOSED JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION WHICH, SHE SAID, WAS ONE FIRM RECOMMENDATION OF THE WHITE PAPER THAT APPEARED TO BE EQUALLY MISUNDERSTOOD.
SHE SAID: +MOST BOYS AND GIRLS IN FORM 3 TAKE AN EXAMINATION EVERY SUMMER AT THIS LEVEL- THIS WOULD BE NO NEW IMPOSITION.+
HONG KONG, MRS. SYMONS SAID, STILL HAD BOYS AND GIRLS WHO WOULD WORK FOR EXAMINATIONS, SO THIS NATURAL APTITUDE COULD BE CHANNELLED INTO USING AN EXAMINATION AS A MEANS TO AN END -- ΤΟ EDUCATE PROPERLY THROUGH A GOOD EXAMINATION.
SHE ADDED: +ONCE THIS CAN BE ESTABLISHED, WE WILL HAVE
A FAIR TEST OF ATTAINMENT AND A FAIR TEST OF COMPETITIVE ABILITY TO CHOOSE BOYS AND GIRLS AFTER FORM 3 TO CONTINUE IN THE PUBLIC SYSTEM FOR THE CERTIFICATE COURSE, AND PERHAPS THE MATRICULATION COURSE.+
+THERE IS SO MUCH INVOLVED IN THIS SELECTION THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE WE CAN JUSTIFIABLY EXPECT PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TO USE A CUMULATIVE RECORD SYSTEM ALONE TO DECIDE ON WHOM TO RECOMMEND FOR FORM 4.1
/MRS. SYMONS
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