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TUESDAY, JULY 13, 1976
INDUSTRIALISTS URGED TO SUPPORT PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE COURSES ******
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL), NR. DANIEL WATERS TODAY CALLED ON INDUSTRIALISTS TO SUPPORT THE PART-TIME DAY-RELEASE COURSES IN THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES RUN BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
+THESE PART-TIME COURSES ARE IN FACT LINKED VERY CLOSELY WITH APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING. THIS IS, IN TURN, LINKED WITH THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE, + MR. WATERS TOLD THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE PENINSULA.
APPRENTICES ARE NORMALLY RELEASED BY THEIR FIRMS ON FULL PAY TO ATTEND SUCH COURSES AT A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FOR ONE FULL DAY A WEEK. THIS CONSISTS OF SIX HOURS OF STUDY. IN ADDITION, A BOY NORMALLY STUDIES TWC EVENINGS A WEEK, WHICH CONSISTS OF FOUR HOURS, IN HIS OWN TIME. THUS A BOY STUDIES A TOTAL OF TEN HOURS A WEEK.
MR. WATERS SAID: +THIS IS MORE SATISFACTORY THAN BY A BOY TRYING TO STUDY IN THE EVENINGS, WHEN HE IS TIRED, AFTER A HARD DAY'S WORK,+
HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE 1970, INDUSTRIALISTS, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD PART-TIME DAY CLASSES GOING WITH A REASONABLE DEGREE OF SUCCESS.
BUT HE EMPHASISED THAT +MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.+
MR. WATERS SUGGESTED THAT ANY EMPLOYER INTERESTED IN SENDING STUDENTS ON SUCH COURSES SHOULD CONTACT THE NEAREST TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OR THE TECHNICAL BRANCH OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
+WE CONSIDER THAT THE RUNNING OF PART-TIME DAY COURSES IS OUR NO. 1 PRIORITY IN INSTITUTES, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID.
HE CONTINUED: +AS INDUSTRY BECOMES MORE SOPHISTICATED SO, IN TURN, THE EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS IN INSTITUTES HAVE TC BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED AS WE NEED TO KEEP IN STEP WITH INDUSTRY AND EVEN, IN CERTAIN CASES, TO SET AN EXAMPLE.
+STAFF IN THE TECHNICAL BRANCH ARE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS. IN ADDITION, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION HAS REPRESENTATIVES SITTING ON THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES AND WORKING PARTIES OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL COMPLEX. WE ALL HAVE OUR EAR TO THE GROUND IN VARIOUS WAYS.
+ IN TURN SYLLABUSES IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES ARE SUBMITTED TO THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL FOR COMMENT. IN THIS WAY, WE ARE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE CURRICULUM MEETS THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF INDUSTRY. WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.+
MR. WATERS STATED THAT LONG-TERM PLANNING HAD NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN AS THE TECHNICAL BRANCH WAS DRAWING UP A TEN-YEAR TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME PLAN.
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