6
ON
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1979
NEW COMMON SYLLABUSES FOR PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
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THE NEW COMMON SYLLABUSES FOR PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, TO BE INTRODUCED THIS SEPTEMBER, WOULD PROVIDE THEM WITH MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY IN CHOOSING A FORMAT TO SUIT THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, MR. A.G. BROWN, SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT) SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE SEMINAR ON CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT (FORMS 1-111) FOR PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT THE MORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, MR. BROWN SAID THAT THESE SCHOOLS WOULD FIND THE SYLLABUSES EDUCATIONALLY APPROPRIATE TO THEIR REQUIREMENT.
FURTHER, HE ADDED, IT WOULD LEAD TO FIRST YEAR EXEMPTION FROM TECHNICAL INSTITUTE CRAFT LEVEL COURSES AND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING SCHEMES.
THE PREPARATION OF THESE NEW COMMON SYLLABUSES HAD TAKEN THE PREVOCATIONAL SUBJECTS COMMITTEE, SET UP BY THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
THIS COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
MR. BROWN SAID THAT WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, NINE MORE WILL BE BUILT AS FROM 1982 WHILE COURSES AT FORM IV AND V LEVEL WILL BE INTRODUCED IN 1981.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, MRS. LOUISE MOK, WHO IS ALSO ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), SAID AT THE SEMINAR THAT THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE PREVOCATIONAL SUBJECTS COMMITTEE WAS NOT ONLY TO SET THE PATTERN OF PRACTICAL-TECHNICAL SUBJECTS BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THE SYLLABUS DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SUBJECTS WAS IN HARMONY WITH THE REST OF THE CURRICULUM,
THE COMMITTEE HAD TO SCRUTINISE THE SOMEWHAT SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT OF PRACTICAL-TECHNICAL SUBJECTS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AND TO SET UP A KIND OF COMMON CORE CURRICULUM, COMPRISING THE BASIC CONCEPTS, ATTITUDES, SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES TO BE ACQUIRED BY ALL PUPILS IN EVERY SCHOOL, WITH SCOPE AND FREEDOM FOR A CERTAIN DEGREE OF SPECIALISATION.
+THIS MEANS GIVING TEACHERS OF PRACTICAL-TECHNICAL SUBJECTS IN THESE SCHOOLS A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE BY IDENTIFYING THE COMMON AND OVERALL CURRICULAR AIMS, AND PLANNING WITH THE TECHNICAL TEACHERS COLLEGE AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES THE APPROPRIATE IN-SERVICE COURSE FOR THEM.
+THIS REPRESENTS TOO A MOVE FOR MORE TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION TO SUPPORT HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, MRS. MOK SAID,
/THE C.D.C.