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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1977
EDUCATION INSURANCE SCHEME SUGGESTED
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REV. THE HON, JOYCE M. BENNETT HAS SUGGESTED AN EDUCATION INSURANCE SCHEME TO HELP PARENTS WHO CAN SAVE UP ON JUNIOR SECONDAY SCHOOL FEES NOW THAT THEY ARE TO BE FREE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, TO PAY FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S FEES IN FROMS IV TO VI.
REV, BENNETT, SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, SAID SUCH A SCHEME SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD SEE TO IT THAT THERE WERE THE NECESSARY SAFEGUARDS.
UNDER THE SCHEME, PARENTS WOULD PAY BY TEN ANNUAL INSTALMENTS EACH YEAR A TOTAL SUM SIMILAR TO THE ABOLISHED FEES AND WOULD BE ALLOWED TO TAKE OUT THE MONEY WITH THE ACCRUED INTEREST AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CHILDREN DID IN FACT CONTINUE
IN SCHOOL.
FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, SHE COULD SAY THAT NEARLY ALL PARENTS DEMANDED FORMS IV AND V PLACES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. WHILE
SHE WELCOMED THE PROPOSED REVIEW OF THE 40 PER CENT AIDED PLACES
IN THESE TWO FORMS, SHE FORESAW THAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WHICH NATURALLY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE HIGH FEES, WOULD CONTINUE TO EXIST FOR SOME TIME.
SHE SAID THE ABOLITION OF JUNIOR SECONDARY FEES WAS A RELIEF TO PARENTS BUT WARNED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE CONTINUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
SHE ALSO URGED THAT THE TEACHER TO CLASS RATIO BE REVERTED TO 1.4 IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND 1.2 IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS BUT ONLY FOR THOSE SCHOOLS WHICH WERE PROVIDING AND WOULD EXPAND EXTRA- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
+WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE STANDARDS OF OUR SCHOOLS DO NOT DROP BY MAKING THEM FREE,+ SHE SAID.
SHE SAW THE NEED FOR A POSITIVE DRIVE TO ENFORCE COMPULSORY EDUCATION AND SUGGESTED THAT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS BE HELPED BY SOCIAL WORKERS FROM THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION IN THIS WORK.
FURTHERMORE, SHE SAID, FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION MIGHT NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR FAMILIES WHO NEEDED THE INCOME OF THEIR CHILDREN, SO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD HAVE TO LIAISE CLOSELY WITH THE PROPOSED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS.
AS TO PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOLING, REV. BENNETT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESENT LACK OF TRAINED TEACHERS AND THE INABILITY OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S SMALL STAFF TO LOOK CLOSELY AFTER THE LARGE NUMBER OF KINDERGARTENS.
+UNDOUBTEDLY ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL AND LEARNING ARE DEVELOPED IN THE KINDERGARTENS AND PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES OF OUR HOUSING ESTATES AND TENEMENT BUILDINGS, SHE SAID.
/SHE HOPED THAT