MONDAY, MAY 2, 1977
NEW ALLOCATION PROCEDURES FOR FORM IN 1978
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MORE THAN 109,280 PUPILS WHO ARE NOW IN PRIMARY V IN 1,200 SCHOOLS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW ALLOCATION SYSTEM FOR FORM I PLACES. AS THESE PUPILS WILL BE PRIMARY VI LEAVERS IN JULY 1978, THEY WILL TAKE PART IN THE ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST IN DECEMBER 1977.
THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS TEST IS TO MONITOR AND SCALE SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS. THE TEST WILL CONSIST OF MACHINE MARKED MULTIPLE CHOICE PAPERS - ONE ON VERBAL REASONING AND ONE ON NUMERICAL REASONING.
MR. KENNETH LEE, SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER IN CHARGE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION, SAID TODAY THAT THE HEADS OF ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS WERE BEING INFORMED OF THE SCHOOL NETS FOR THE 'NEW ALLOCATION SYSTEM. THE SCHOOL HEADS WERE INVITED TO SEND ANY GENERAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS ON THE NETS TO MR. LEE BEFORE MAY -26.
MR. LEE SAID IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THERE SHOULD BE 24 SCHOOL NETS UNDER THE SAME NUMBER OF DISTRICT COUNCILS, IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE COUNCILS SHOULD WORK UNDER A CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
HE EMPHASISED THAT THESE NETS WERE BY NO MEANS FINAL AND WOULD ONLY BE FINALISED IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY 1978 IN TIME FOR ACTUAL ALLOCATION IN JULY OF THAT YEAR. +THEREAFTER THEY WILL BE REVIEWED ANNUALLY,+ MR. LEE SAID.
+TO ENSURE THAT THE ACADEMIC APTITUDE TEST ITEMS ARE OF GOOD QUALITY, A SERIES OF PRE-TESTS WILL BE HELD FROM MAY 9 TO 13.
THE PUPILS PARTICIPATING IN THE PRE-TESTS ARE FROM PRIMARY VI AND HAVE BEEN CHOSEN ON A RANDOM BASIS. THEIR PERFORMANCE IN THESE PRE-TESTS WILL NOT AFFECT THEIR SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATION RESULTS, MR. LEE STATED.
AN ITEM ANALYSIS OF THE PRE-TESTS' RESULTS WILL BE DONE BY COMPUTER. BASED ON THIS ANALYSIS, GOOD ITEMS WILL BE RETAINED AND A SECOND SERIES OF PRE-TESTS WILL BE HELD IN JUNE.
SPECIMEN ITEMS WILL THEN BE PREPARED AND DESPATCHED TO SCHOOLS IN JULY OR AUGUST FOR THE INFORMATION OF TEACHERS.
MR. LEE SAID TO BE FAIR TO ALL PRIMARY V! PUPILS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL TEST IN DECEMBER 1977. PRACTICE QUESTIONS WILL BE GIVEN TO EACH OF THEM IN NOVEMBER THROUGH THE IR SCHOOL HEADS.+
HE FELT THAT SOME PRACTICE WAS NECESSARY BUT PERFORMANCE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY IMPROVE IN PROPORTION WITH THE AMOUNT OF FURTHER PRACTICE.
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