+
12
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1976.
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PUBLIC SECTOR
*****
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION THROUGH THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
+ IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR US TO BE BOGGED DOWN BY MAKE-SHIFT ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SECTOR, HE SAID.
THE DIRECTOR WAS REPLYING TO SUGGESTIONS MADE BY BOTH THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN AND REV. THE HON. JOYCE BENNETT THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF TEACHING IN PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS BY THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
THIS QUESTION WAS FULLY CONSIDERED WHEN THE RAPID PHASING OUT OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION WAS EXAMINED.
+WE CONCLUDED THAT AT THIS TIME THE CORRECT THING TO DO WAS TO BUY PLACES IN THE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS FOR AS SHORT A TIME AS POSSIBLE AND THEN BY SEPARATE BUILDING PROGRAMMES TO PROVIDE PLACES IN SUBSIDISED AND NON-PROFIT-MAKING SCHOOLS.
+ THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID AN ELEMENT OF SUBSIDY TO THE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IF ASSISTANCE IS GIVEN TO THE IR TEACHERS, HE SAID.
ON MISS BENNETT'S REQUEST THAT EXAMINATIONS BE AVOIDED IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS ON SUBJECTS LIKE SOCIAL STUDIES, NATURE STUDY, HAND-WORK, MUSIC AND ART, MR. TOPLEY SAID HE SYMPATHISED WITH HER VIEWPOINT.
+1 AM, IN FACT, INVESTIGATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MORE PRACTICAL SUBJECTS TO THE MEASURE OF OVERALL ATTAINMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME CONSIDERING WAYS IN WHICH SOME OF THE SUBJECTS MENTIONED COULD BE ASSESSED WITHOUT FORMAL EXAMINATION, THE DIRECTOR STATED.
TURNING TO MISS BENNETT'S REFERENCE TO CHANGES OF SCHOOL SITES OFFERED TO SOME SPONSORING BODIES, MR. TOPLEY SAID THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WHEN DEVELOPING THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS BUILDING PROGRAMME, HAD TO CALCULATE BOTH HOW MANY SCHOOLS TO BUILD AND WHERE THEY SHOULD BE PLACED.
+NOW THAT THE NEW TOWN PROGRAMMES ARE ON THE MOVE IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS SO FAR AS POSSIBLE BE BUILT WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIVE.
+OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE DEVELOPING NEW TOWNS WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE SCHOOLS FOR THE CHILDREN TO GO TO.
/+THIS MEANS