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WEDNESDAY,. NOVEMBER 5, 1975
DEBATE ON EDUCATION: QUANTITY AND QUALITY
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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY THIS AFTERNOON SPOKE ABOUT THE CONSIDERATIONS WHICH MUST GUIDE THE TACTICAL MOVEMENTS IN DEVELOPING SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PUPILS WITH WHATEVER RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE.
REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMDERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. TOPLEY SAID THE KEY QUESTION ABOUT EDUCATION ‹POSED · IN THIS DEBATE WAS THAT OF QUANTITY AGAINST QUALITY, BUT IN A FRESH FORM.
PERSONALLY MR. TOPLEY BELIEVED THAT STANDARDS SHOULD BE RELAXED TEMPORARILY SO THAT THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PUPILS COULD BE HELPED WITH THEIR EDUCATION.
HE REFERRED TO THE REAL UNCERTAINTY ABOUT FINANCIAL RESOURCES - READY MONEY - AVAILABLE FOR SPENDING BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
+IF WE CAN EXPECT A LOT RATHER QUICKLY WE SHOULD HARDLY MODIFY OUR EDUCATIONAL PLANS AT ALL BUT WAIT FOR THE REVENUE UPTURN.
REASON
+IF, AT THE OTHER EXTREME, THERE WERE REALLY SOUND FOR PESSIMISM A LITTLE AND LATE THEN WE SHOULD THOROUGHLY RESTRUCTURE OUR EXPANSION PLANS TO SUIT OUR ASSUMED, RESOURCES.+
THE DIRECTOR STATED THAT HE WAS PLANNING FOR VAR IOUS CONTINGENCIES.
HE SAID: +FIRST OF ALL IT WOULD BE QUITE UNJUSTIFIED TO TAKE A PESSIMISTIC VIEW FOR THE MEDIUM TERM, AND IT FOLLOWS FROM THIS THAT WE SHOULD NOT THROW AWAY OR COMPLETELY REVAMP . OUR CONCEPTS AND PLANS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION EXPANSION
ARRIVED AT WITH SO MUCH PAIN AND SWEAT AND ENSHRINED AT LAST IN THE WHITE PAPER.
+IF THE SITUATION DEVELOPS FAVOURABLY, AS WE ALL DEVOUTLY HOPE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE A START NEXT YEAR, AS IT STANDS.
+HOWEVER IF THE SITUATION FAILS TO DEVELOP AS FAVOURABLY AS THIS, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS OF EXPANDING SECONDARY EDUCATION, ALL WITH DIFFERENT PRICE TAGS, ALL WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTERÍSTICS CARRYING DIFFERENT DEGREES OF ADVANTAGE DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH COULD DE USED TO KEEP THINGS MOVING UNTIL THE WHITE PAPER CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN FULL, THAT IS TO SAY UNTIL WE CAN AFFORD TO GO FOR EXTENDED DAY IN ALL AIDED AND GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS. BUYING AS MANY GOOD PLACES AS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, MEANWHILE BUILDING AS HARD AS WE CAN.+
THE DIRECTOR