10
FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1979
PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION REALISTICALLY ADAPTED TO PRESENT DAY LIFE, SAYS DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
*****
PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING A FORM OF EDUCATION VERY REAL ISTICALLY ADAPTED TO THE PRESENT DAY HONG KONG AND TO THE NEW PATTERN OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE COMMEMORATIVE STONE UNVEILING CEREMONY OF THE MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL CHAI WAN, MR. TOPLEY SAID THESE SCHOOLS WERE OFFERING AN EDUCATION POPULAR TO BOTH PUPILS AND THE IR PARENTS,
ASIDE FROM PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND AN INTRODUCTION TO BROADLY-BASED TECHNICAL SKILLS, THE DIRECTOR SAID PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WERE CLEARLY PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE AS A SOURCE OF TECHNICAL MANPOWER VITAL TO THE INDUSTRY OF HONG KONG WHICH REQUIRED AN ADAPTABLE WORKFORCE TO SUSTAIN ITS DEVELOPMENT.
BUT HE WARNED THAT PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS MUST NOT BECOME VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES NOR MINIATURE TECHNICAL INSTITUTES.
+THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS SYSTEM. AND SCHOOL EDUCATION SHOULD NOT, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN THE CASE OF MUSICIANS AND BALLET DANCERS, PREPARE PUPILS FOR A SINGLE VOCATION, MR. TOPLEY SAID.
THERE ARE NOW 11 PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS INCLUDING ONE OPERATING IN BORROWED PREMISES. SIX SCHOOLS ARE CO-EDUCATIONAL AND ONE OTHER WILL BECOME CO-EDUCATIONAL IN THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR.
THE TOTAL PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL ENROLMENT NOW IS ABOUT 7,500. IN SEPTEMBER, WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW CO-EDUCATIONAL SCHOOLS OF THE MARDEN FOUNDATION, ONE IN SHA TIN AND ONE IN CHAI WAN, THERE WILL BE 13 PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND AN ENROLMENT OF 9,100.
THE MARDEN FOUNDATION CARITAS PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN CHAI WAN IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1980. HOWEVER, IT WILL OPERATE THIS SEPTEMBER IN BORROWED PREMISES AT ST. FRANCIS PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN CAINE ROAD. IT IS EXPECTED THAT BY SEPTEMBER, 1982, THE TOTAL PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOL ENROLMENT WILL RISE TO 10,800.
MR. TOPLEY SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT PREVOCATIONAL EDUCATION HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY MANY PARENTS AND FULLY APPRECIATED BY THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS IN HONG KONG.