SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1978
7
-
MORE STUDENTS PURSUE TECHNICAL EDUCATION
******
THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS APPLYING FOR PLACES IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS FOR THE 1978/79 ACADEMIC YEAR BY ABCUT 24 PER CENT COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR, WHILE THE NUMBER OF
HAS INCREASED APPLICANTS FOR TECHNICAL INSTITUTE EVENING CLASSES ROSE BY 17 PER CENT.
ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, NEARLY 17,000 STUDENTS APPLIED FOR JUST OVER 3,000 PLACES IN THE ELEVEN PRÉVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. ABOUT 30,000 APPLIED FOR PLACES IN EVENING CLASSES IN THE FOUR TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OF WHOM ABOUT 16,000 WILL BE FOUND PLACES. DETAILS REGARDING APPLICATIONS FOR DAY CLASSES WILL BE AVAILABLE EARLY NEXT MONTH.
COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, MR. DANIEL WATERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (TECHNICAL) CF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, SAID: +THE HEAVY OVER-SUBSCRIPTION OF PLACES CLEARLY INDICATES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE NOW REALISE THERE ARE PLENTY OF GOOD OPPORTUNITIES IN INDUSTRY ON COMPLETION OF THEIR STUDIES.+
THE ELEVEN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ARE ALL FULLY SUBSIDISED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND OFFER A THREE-YEAR POST-PRIMARY COURSE. THEY ARE CARITAS ST. JOSEPH, CARITAS ST. GODFREY, CARITAS ST. PAUL, CARITAS 3T. FRANCIS, MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS TUEN MUN, HOLY CARPENTER, HONG KONG COTTON SPINNERS' ASSOCIATION, CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHINA ROTARY, TANG KING PO, CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS BISHOP HALL MEMORIAL PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL.
THE CURRICULUM IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS GIVES EQUAL EMPHASIS TO BOTH GENERAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS. THE GENERAL SUBJECTS COMPRISE ENGLISH, CHINESE, MATHEMATICS AND SOCIAL STUDIES. BASIC TECHNICAL EDUCATION INCLUDES BROAD-BASED INSTRUCTION IN AT LEAST THREE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AND/OR COMMERCIAL FIELDS. CONSIDERABLE EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
WHILE SOME SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE A STUDENT WITH A DEGREE OF SPECIALISATION IN ONE FIELD, THEY ALSO PROVIDE A BROAD KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS A WHOLE.
MR. WATERS SAID: +PUPILS, HAVING STUDIED A CRAFT SUBJECT IN DEPTH, IN A PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL, ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER DIRECTLY INTO THE SECOND YEAR OF AN APPRENTICESHIP AND THE SECOND YEAR OF A PART-TIME DAY COURSE AT A TECHNICAL INSTITUTE.
+AS A RESULT OF THE APPRENTICESHIP ORDINANCE, ENACTED IN 1976, EMPLOYERS IN DESIGNATED TRADES ARE REQUIRED NOT ONLY TO RELEASE THEIR APPRENTICES FOR ONE DAY A WEEK TO ATTEND PART-TIME COURSES IN RELATED FIELDS IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTES BUT ALSO TO PAY THEIR TUITION FEES.
+ IN ADDITION, STUDENTS STUDY TWO EVENINGS A WEEK IN THEIR OWN TIME.
+AFTER THE