7
-
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1978
ENCE THE BELIEF THAT THE BASIS FOR A WORK-FORCE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE TASKS AHEAD IS A FULL, ALL-ROUND SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. WITHOUT THIS WE SHALL NOT HAVE IN OUR WORK-FORCE THE ADAPTABILITY, THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE INNOVATIVENESS TO SECURE OUR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL.
ALL-ME
+TO THIS DEBATE THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE BOOK' ANSWER. CAN STRIVE TO DO IS TO FIND A FORMULA - THE MIXTURE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, OF INDUCEMENTS IN THE VARIOUS SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY AND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SATISFYING LEISURE PURSUITS WHICH WORKS FOR OUR SOCIETY.
THE
+THIS FORMULA WILL EMERGE ONLY FROM PRACTICAL TRIALS, GREEN PAPER, IN EFFECT, MADE CERTAIN PROPOSALS TO THIS ERD, A NUMBER OF MEMBERS HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS INVOLVING AN EVEN RICHER MIXTURE OF INGREDIENTS THAN ENVISAGED IN THE GREEN PAPER TO SATISFY THE ASPIRATIONS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE IR PARENTS AND THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
+THESE, TOGETHER WITH OTHER COMMENTS ARISING FROM THE PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE GREEN PAPER, ARE BEING GIVEN THE FULLEST CONSIDERATION IN DRAWING UP THE WHITE PAPER.+
COMMENTING ON THE MORE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS MADE IN LAST MONTH'S SPEECHES ABOUT SENIOR SECONDARY, TEACHER TRAINING, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNIC, THE POST-SECONDARY COLLEGES AND ADULT EDUCATION, MR. TOPLEY SAID I +THE 50 PER CENT RATE OF PROVISION OF FORM 4 TO 5 SENIOR SECONDARY PLACES APPEARS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE MAJORITY - EVEN IF ONLY AS A FIRST STEP.
+PUBLIC DEMAND, HOWEVER AS EXPRESSED IN SUBMISSIONS TO THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND IN THE MEDIA, WAS STRONGLY IN FAYOUR OF A GREATER PROVISION.
+BEFORE REACHING A FINAL DECISION ON THIS MATTER, OTHER FACTORS WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED. FOR EXAMPLE,
FOR EXAMPLE, THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS ENVISAGED A FAIRLY SEVERE DEGREE OF ASYMMETRY IN THE NEW SCHOOLS TO BE BUILT IN THE NEW TOWNS AND OTHER DEVELOPING AREAS.
•THERE IS A FEELING, THAT THIS ASYMMETRY SHOULD BE REDUCED. COMPLETE SYMMETRY IN OUR SYSTEM, HOWEVER, MEANS THE SAME AS FULL SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL. AND THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS - PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL WHICH WOULD DETERMINE THE SPEED AT WHICH WE COULD PROVIDE FOR THIS.
WE MUST REMEMBER, TOO, THAT THE CALL FOR A BROADENING AND ENRICHMENT OF THE CURRICULA WILL REQUIRE A CONSIDERABLE PROGRAMME OF EXTENSIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITIES.
+I AM CONFIDENT