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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1974.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION PROPOSED
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DR. HARRY FANG TODAY PROPOSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER SERIOUSLY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION NOW THAT IT HAS ACHIEVED UNIVERSAL FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG,
COMMENTING ON THE EDUCATION WHITE PAPER IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE WELCOMED ITS PROPOSALS FOR ABOLITION OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION AND THE PROVISION OF NINE YEARS' UNINTERRUPTED EDUCATION.
POINTED
HOWEVER, HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT WHILE ABOLISHING THE S.S.E.E. ON ONE HAND, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REPLACED IT WITH A JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION ON THE OTHER.
+INSTEAD OF RELIEVING THE ANXIETY CREATED BY THE S.S.E.E. AND FELT BY STUDENTS AND PARENTS ALIKE, THE JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION AT BEST POSTPONES THE ILL-EFFECTS AND THEREFORE, PROLONGS THE PERIOD OF PRESSURE FOR THOSE INVOLVED,+ DR. FANG SAID,
HE EMPHASISED THAT HE WAS NOT AGAINST ALL EXAMINATIONS AS SUCH, BUT HE STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT THE NATURE OF THE EXAMINATION SHOULD BE SO TAILORED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A MEANS OF SELECTION FOR PLACES BUT AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILDREN'S ABILITY.
WHILE I AM CONSCIOUS OF THE PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS FOR THE MOMENT, HE ADDED, +1 SHOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ABOLITION OF SUCH AN EXAMINATION AND A DECLARED AIM OF UNIVERSAL SECONDARY EDUCATION, UP TO SCHOOL LEAVING LEVEL, FOR ALL IN HONG KONG.+
DR. FANG WAS SURPRISED THAT THE WHITE PAPER MADE NO REFERENCE WHATSOEVER TO THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
+IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE 120,000 HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, WHO, BEING HANDICAPPED, NEED TO BE MOŘE EDUCATIONALLY EQUIPPED TO FEND FOR. THEMSELVES. YET EXISTING
FACILITIES CAN COPE WITH LESS THAN 5,000,+ HE SAID.
*
-THIS GAP, HE ADDED, MUST BE CONSIDERED +A BLOT ON OUR OTHERWISE FINË RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT AND, UNLESS WE CAN FILL IT WE CANNOT IN ALL HONESTY AND GOOD CONSCIENCE, CLAIM THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR ALL.+
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HE URGED THAT THESE LESS FORTUNATE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY BE INCLUDED IN OUR PROGRAMME OF UNIVERSAL FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION.
DR. FANG WOULD WELCOME A STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT ON ITS POLICY AND PLANS FOR THE EDUCATION OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP.
/IN SUMMING .........
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