WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1977
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TURNING TO DR. HUANG'S COMMENTS ON THE CURRICULUM OF JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, MR. TOPLEY SAID: +IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT THE SYLLABUSES AND GUIDES INITIALLY PRODUCED BY THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO MEET THIS PROBLEM OF CATERING FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY EITHER PROCEED WITH THEIR FORMAL SCHOOL ING OR LEAVE SCHOOL FOR EMPLOYMENT EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT VOCATIONAL TRAINING.
+ INDEED WITHOUT KNOWING IN ADVANCE WHICH STUDENTS ARE TO PROCEED FURTHER WITH THE IR EDUCATION, AND WITH OUR AMBITIOUS STUDENT POPULATION IT WAS A FORMIDABLE TASK AND ONE WHICH OUR CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS HAD NOT TACKLED BEFORE.
+HOWEVER, + HE SAID, THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS GIVEN CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO ITS VARIOUS SUBJECT COMMITTEES TO GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF LESS ACADEMICALLY ABLE STUDENTS WHO ARE LIKELY TO LEAVE AT THE END OF FORM 3.
+WITH ITS POLICY OF CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THE PROGRESS OF THE CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS, AND MAKING PROGRESSIVE CHANGES TO MEET DEFICIENCIES THE COMMITTEE IS WELL PLACED TO MEET THE FULL NEEDS OF HONG KONG STUDENTS BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE ACHIEVED OVERNIGHT.+
IN REPLY TO POINTS RAISED BY THE HON. JOYCE
M. BENNETT, MR. TOPLEY EXPLAINED THE DELAY IN THE AWARD OF A SET OF SCHOLARSHIPS LAST YEAR WAS CAUSED LARGELY BY THE INCREASED NUMBERS OF APPLICANTS AND A SHORTAGE OF MANPOWER DURING THE CRITICAL PERIOD.
+THERE WILL BE NO REPETITION OF THIS DELAY, MR. TOPLEY
ASSURED.
ON MISS BENNETT'S COMMENTS ON KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION, IN PARTICULAR HER PROPOSALS FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TRAINING AND THE PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE CLASS TEACHER RATIO IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, MR. TOPLEY SAID THEY WOULD BE EXAMINED BY THE WORKING PARTY ON PRIMARY EDUCATION,
AS REGARDS INCREASED STAFFING RATIOS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, HE SAID: +1 ACCEPT THAT THE REVISED CURRICULA AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER CHANGES IN OUR SENIOR SECONDARY COURSES, INCLUDING FORM 6 COURSES, WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY REQUIRED SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF.
+ THE CASE FOR AN ACROSS THE BOARD' INCREASE, HOWEVER, WILL NEED TO BE VERY COMPELLING IN THE LIGHT OF THE OTHER DEMANDS UPON OUR RESOURCES, + MR. TOPLEY SAID.
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