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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1975
THOUSANDS ATTEND EVENING SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE
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MORE THAN 3,200 PUPILS, MANY OF WHOM WORK DURING THE DAY, ARE ATTENDING THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S EVENING INSTITUTE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE.
WHEN THE COURSE WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1959 THERE WERE ONLY THREE LEVELS - YEARS 1 TO 3. THE COURSE, WHICH LEADS TO THE HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION, HAS PROGRESSIVELY EXTENDED TO SIX LEVELS.
AT PRESENT THERE ARE SEVEN CENTRES, TWO ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND FIVE IN KOWLOON. CHINESE IS USED AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AT THREE OF THE CENTRES WHILE THE REMAINING FOUR USE ENGLISH.
ABOUT 80 PER CENT OF THE APPLICANTS THIS YEAR SELECTED TO JOIN THE CENTRES WHICH USE ENGLISH AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION. ALSO MOST OF THE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WERE FOR CENTRES IN KOWLOON.
OF THE 3,200 PUPILS ENROLLED, SOME 1,200 ARE ATTENDING THE COURSE OF THE KOWLOON ENGLISH SECTION AT THREE CENTRES - QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOOL, KOWLOON TECHNICAL SCHOOL AND THE CHEUNG SHA WAN POLICE PRIMARY SCHOOL, THE LAST TWO OF WHICH ARE ANNEXES TO THE FIRST CENTRE.
THE STUDENTS AT THESE THREE CENTRES WEAR SCHOOL UNIFORM ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT COMPELLED TO DO SO. THE IDEA OF A SCHOOL UNIFORM BEGAN IN 1961. EVER SINCE THEN THE PUPILS AT THESE CENTRES HAVE BEEN PROUD OF THEIR UNIFORM. SOME OF THEM CHANGE INTO THEIR UNIFORM AFTER WORK OR ON ARRIVAL AT THE CENTRES.
RECENTLY, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY PAID A VISIT TO THE CENTRE AT QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOOL. HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PUPILS' ATTITUDE AND THE HIGH STANDARD OF SCHOOL DISCIPLINE.
MR. TOPLEY REMAINED AT THE CENTRE FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AND TALKED TO SOME OF THE STUDENTS AND STAFF. HE THEN WENT TO THE MA TAU CHUNG GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL, A CENTRE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S COURSE - A THREE-YEAR EVENING POST-PRIMARY COURSE WITH A PRACTICAL BIAS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS WHO DO NOT ANTICIPATE FURTHER EDUCATION AT THE GRAMMAR SECONDARY LEVEL. MORE THAN 4,000 TEENAGERS ARE ATTENDING THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S COURSE WHICH LEADS TO A CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
/EARLIER THE SAME
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