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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978
DR. HUANG ALSO CALLED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EXPERT AND BROADLY BASED WORKING PARTY TO ASSESS THE ROLE AND NEEDS OF PRIVATE NON-PROF IT-MAKING SCHOOLS.
IN ORDER TO MEET THE TARGETS SET, GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO RELY HEAVILY UPON BOUGHT PLACES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. +WE MUST THEREFORE LOOK INTO THE POSITION OF THESE SCHOOLS AND ENSURE THE VALUE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM, + HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE GREEN PAPER PLANS TO PROVIDE A SET NUMBER OF PLACES TO MEET AN ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE OF NEED AND ONE THING WHICH SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED IS THE DIFFERENCE WHICH COULD EXIST BETWEEN THE PERCENTAGE GIVEN AND THE ACTUAL NUMBERS INVOLVED.
IT SHOULD ALSO EE NOTED THAT WHILE THE 1976 BY-CENSUS ANTICIPATES A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS RECEIVING EDUCATION IN THE 1980'S. THE MOST RECENT PROJECTIONS FROM THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SHOW AN EVENTUAL UP-SWING OF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE DURING THE 1980'S, REACHING A NUMERICALLY LARGER NUMBER BY 1991.
BEARING IN MIND ALSO THE NATURAL ASPIRATIONS OF MANY YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WE ADOPT MUST HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ABSORB AT THE VARIOUS STAGES RATHER LARGER NUMBERS THAN STATISTICALLY PROJECTED, HE EXPLAINED.
AN AREA, DR. HUANG NOTED, WHERE THE GREEN PAPER IS RETICENT IS THAT OF THE SUPPLY OF TEACHERS WHO WILL BE REQUIRED IN LARGE NUMBERS IF THE EDUCATIONAL INTENTIONS ARE TO BE ACHIEVED.
HE SAID: +WE NEED A PROJECTION OF THE NUMBER AND KINDS OF TEACHERS REQUIRED AND A POLICY OF TEACHER-TRAINING LINKED WITH A POLICY FOR TEACHER SUPPLY, WHICH WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE KIND, QUALITY, AND QUANTITY OF EDUCATION TO BE PROVIDED.
+OTHER QUESTIONS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED RELATE TO THE COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS IN THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TEACH, THE RATIOS OF PUPILS TO TEACHERS, THE POLICIES TOWARDS PERMITTED TEACHERS, AND TOWARDS NON-GRADUATE/GRADUATE TEACHER COMPLEMENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.+
HE SUPPORTED. THE PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS BY RAISING THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS OR INCREASING THE LENGTH OF COURSES AT THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, BUT HE DID NOT ENCOURAGE ANY DRIFT TOWARDS A HIGHER PROPORTION OF NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS IN THE UPPER-SECONDARY SECTOR.
ANY PROPOSAL TO DILUTE THE GRADUATE TEACHING FORCE IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS BEYOND THE PRESENT SITUATION SHOULD BE RESISTED, SINCE THE CONSEQUENCE WOULD BE A DROP IN THE QUALITY OF TEACHING, HE SAID.
DR. HUANG SUPPORTED. THE INTENTIONS OF THE GREEN PAPER WHICH, HE SAID, IS BOTH A PRACTICAL PROGRAMME TO IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND AN ATTEMPT AT EDUCATIONAL PLANNING.
/APART FROM