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THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1978
HE ASKED FOR A REALISTIC REVIEW OF THE NUMBER OF SUSBSIDISED SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES TO BE PROVIDED FOR THE 15-YEAR-OLD.
HE ESTIMATED THAT IN 1981, THERE WILL BE 46,800 SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES AND 25,000 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PLACES, THAT IS, OUT OF THE TOTAL 93,650 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION, 21,850 WILL BE WITHOUT THESE PLACES.
IN 1986, THERE WILL BE 46,800 SUBSIDISED FORM IV PLACES AND 25,000 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PLACES BUT WITH THE 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION DROPPING TO 74,500, 2,700 WILL BE WITHOUT THESE PLACES.
FURTHERMORE, HE EXPLAINED, AS STATED IN THE GREEN PAPER, EDUCATION CARRIES A HIGH ESTEEM IN HONG KONG SOCIETY MOST OF THE FORM 1!! LEAVERS WOULD PREFER TO PROCEED TO FURTHER FORMAL EDUCATION RATHER THAN TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES AND LESS STILL TO INDUSTRY.
MOST PARENTS, HAVING SAVED THE COSTS OF PROVIDING PRIMARY AND JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, WILL ALSO BE LIKELY TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CHILDREN TO PROCEED TO FORM IV-V REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM IT. MOST PROBABLY, BY 1986 OVER 96 PER CENT OF OUR 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION WOULD AIM TO COMPLETE AT LEAST FORM V EDUCATION.
AS THERE WILL ONLY BE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE AFTER FORM V, THE MAJORITY OF THE GRADUATES WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO ENTER EMPLOYMENT IN INDUSTRY OR COMMERCE.
WHILE SOME MAY SAY THAT IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A BETTER EDUCATION WORK FORCE, THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM WOULD THINK, NOT WITHOUT SOME JUSTIFICATION, THAT THEY ARE TOO GOOD FOR THE LEVEL OF WORK IN WHICH MOST OF THEM WOULD BE EMPLOYED, NAMELY CRAFT AND OPERATIVE.
AS THE BULK OF THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE COURSES ARE AT THE CRAFT LEVEL, ENTRY TO WHICH IS FORM 111, YOUNG PERSONS WHO HAVE COMPLETED FORM V MAY ALSO FEEL TOO GOOD FOR SUCH COURSES.
THE GREEN PAPER STATED THAT IN HONG KONG, FOR EVERY ONE PERSON WORKING AT THE TECHNOLOGIST LEVEL THERE ARE MORE THAN FOUR AT THE TECHNICIAN LEVEL AND ABOUT 11 AT THE CRAFT LEVEL. MR. CHEN ASKED WHERE INDUSTRY IS TO FIND PEOPLE FOR CRAFT LEVEL TRAINING IF THE BULK OF OUR 15-YEAR-OLDS WILL CHOOSE TO CONTINUE SUBSIDISED SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION.
MR. CHARLES YEUNG: INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EDUCATION
THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG CALLED FOR A REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE EDUCATION POLICY AND OBJECTIVES AS HE FELT THAT EVENTUALLY AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF EDUCATION WILL HAVE TO BE DEVISED.
/HE POINTED