WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1978
18
QUALIFICATIONS FOR CHILD CARE STAFF *****
THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROPOSED TO REDUCE TO A MORE REALISTIC LEVEL THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR CHILD CARE SUPERVISORS AND WORKERS WHICH EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN HAVE BEEN PUT TOO HIGH, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, THE HON. JIMMY SWEETMAN SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. MRS. KWAN KO STU-WAH IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. SWEETMAN SAID THE PROPOSALS WERE INTENDED TO EASE THE EXISTING DIFFICULTIES OF RECRUITMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WERE ADEQUATELY LOOKED AFTER.
HE SAID 62 CHILD CARE SUPERVISORS OUT OF 199 HAD ALREADY BEEN REGISTERED WHILE THE REMAINDER WERE ACADEMICALLY UNDER-QUALIFIED OR HAD LESS THAN THE REQUIRED FIVE YEARS' CHILD CARE EXPERIENCE.
+ IN ORDER TO REDUCE TO THE MINIMUM THE NUMBER OF WAIVERS TO THESE REQUIREMENTS, IT IS PROPOSED TO REDUCE THE ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS FROM FORM 5 WITH AT LEAST FIVE SUBJECTS TO TWO SUBJECTS AT GRADE E, AND THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FROM FIVE YEARS TO THREE YEARS WITH A PROVISO THAT SUPERVISORS MUST BE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OF AGE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO SHOULDER SUCH RESPONSIBILITIES,+ HE SAID.
WITH REGARD TO CHILD CARE WORKERS, MR. SWEETMAN SAID 452 OF THE 1,213 WERE QUALIFIED, WHILE 273 OF THE REMAINING 761 DID NOT HAVE THE BASIC EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF A FORM 5 CERTIFICATE WITH FIVE PASSES AT GRADE E.
THE REMAINING 488 OF THE 761 HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE NECESSARY TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE, HE ADDED.
TO MEET THIS DIFFICULTY, HE SAID, IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE NECESSARY ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION FOR A CHILD CARE WORKER SHOULD EITHER BE TWO SUBJECTS AT GRADE E, OR COMPLETION OF FORM 3 EDUCATION.
THIS, HE SAID, WILL BE COMBINED WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PART-TIME COURSE WHICH IT IS HOPED CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO THE FIFTH TECHNICAL
INSTITUTE NOW BEING BUILT IN KOWLOON TONG.
+THIS WILL ALLOW SUITABLE NON-ACADEMIC FORM 3 LEAVERS THE OPPORTUNITY OF LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN, HE SAID.
/19
Page 20Page 21