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FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1975
PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR REDUNDANT TEACHERS
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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS SETTING UP A PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR ABOUT 260 REDUNDANT TEACHERS IN AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHERE CLASSES WILL BE REDUCED NEXT SEPTEMBER.
THE SERVICE, HEADED BY A SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER, WILL BEGIN OPERATIONS IN JUNE.
THESE TEACHERS WILL BECOME REDUNDANT FOLLOWING THE PHASING OUT OF NEARLY 240 UNDER-UTILISED CLASSES IN URBAN AREAS,
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SINCE A SIMILAR NUMBER OF NEW CLASSES WILL BE OPENED IN NEW AND DEVELOPING AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT HONGKONG IN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, THE SERVICE WILL ASSIST THEM TO FIND ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THE NEW CLASSES WILL BE IN SCHOOLS IN NEW TOWNS, NEW HOUSING ESTATES IN OTHER DEVELOPING AREAS, AND IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE SHORTAGES. MOST OF THESE CLASSES ARE NECESSARY TO MATCH THE SHIFT IN POPULATION.
THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, IS MOST CONCERNED WITH THE PRECARIOUS POSITION OF SUCH TEACHERS. HE FEELS STRONGLY THAT ANY VACANT TEACHING POSTS IN AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARISING FROM NEW CLASSES, RETIREMENT AND WASTAGE, SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THESE TEACHERS.
IN A CIRCULAR TO ALL AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PRIMARY), MR. LAM TAT-LAÚ, ADVISED SUPERVISORS AND HEADS TO ENSURE THAT IN FILLING VACANT TEACHING POSTS FOR SEPTEMBER THEY SHOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO THESE TEACHERS.
MR. LAM ASKED THEM TO NOTE THAT IN DETERMINING REDUNDANT TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF IN THEIR SCHOOLS AS A RESULT OF REDUCTION OF CLASSES, THEY SHOULD ADHERE STRICTLY TO THE LAST IN, FIRST OUT+ RULE.
IF THE REDUNDANT TEACHER SELECTED WAS NOT THE LAST IN+ PERSON, FULL REASONS MUST BE GIVEN TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR REMINDED THEM THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR INFORMATION ON VACANT POSTS TO BE REPORTED TO THE RELEVANT AREA SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICERS.
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