WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1979
17
+HONG KONG HAS A SPLENDID OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THIS PROPOSED MACHINERY TO ENCOURAGE GREATER REAL PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
+ I HOPE THE NEW MACHINERY WILL NOT BE JUST ANOTHER TALKING- SHOP WITH NO TEETH IN IT, MERELY FRUSTRATING ITS MEMBERS, BUT WILL BE A REAL PART OF OUR DEMOCRATIC MACHINERY, SHE SAID.
TURNING TO EDUCATION, MISS BENNETT SAID SHE WAS PLEASED THAT ALL CAPUT SCHOOLS WILL BE GIVEN FULL AID IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND NO MORE SUCH SCHOOLS WILL BE STARTED.
SHE ALSO SUPPORTED THE INTRODUCTION OF PART-TIME UNIVERSITY DEGREE COURSES FOR, WITH SUCH COURSES, THE PRINCIPALS OF THE CAPUT SCHOOLS WITH NON-HONG KONG, BRITISH OR COMMONWEALTH DEGREE QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE ENABLED TO GAIN RECOGNITION.
IN FACT SHE THOUGHT THE FACILITIES PROVIDED TO TEST AND RECOGNISE UNREGISTERABLE MEDICAL DOCTORS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO MEMBERS OF OTHER PROFESSIONS.
SHE FURTHER ASKED WHAT THOUGHT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ADAPTING THE OPEN UNIVERSITY IN HONG KONG, SHE SAID MUSIC AND ART AND DESIGN SHOULD BE AMONG THE FIRST SUBJECTS TO BE OFFERED UNDER THE PART-TIME/OPEN UNIVERSITY PROGRAMME BECAUSE THERE IS A GREAT DEARTH OF SUCH GRADUATE TEACHERS AND THE MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE TOO WOULD BENEFIT. THE OFFICE'S TEACHING PROGRAMME IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF ITS WORK, SO SHE WAS SOMEWHAT ALARMED TO SEE IT REMOVED FROM THE AUSPICES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
IN THE AREA OF PRIMARY AND PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION, MISS BENNETT EXPRESSED DEEP CONCERN AT THE SLOW PROGRESS BEING MADE. SHE UNDERSTOOD AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING PARTY WAS SET UP IN OCTOBER 1976 BETWEEN THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO STUDY THE NEEDS OF THE PRE-PRIMARY CHILD AND SHE SUSPECTED THAT THE SLOW PROGRESS WAS PARTLY CAUSED BY THE PROBLEMS OF TWO DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER.
SHE SAID SHE WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED AS, DESPITE THE GOVERNOR'S MENTION THAT THE WORK WAS NEAR ING COMPLETION, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR HER TO OBTAIN FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT FROM THE RELEVANT SECRETARIAT BRANCH.
*THIS RELUCTANCE TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION CAN BUT ALARM ME WHAT IS SO SECRET IN THE CARE OF THE PRE-PRIMARY CHILD?+ SHE ASKED. SHE HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROHIBIT CHILDREN FROM ENTERING KINDERGARTENS UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE AND INSIST THAT THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS ATTEND PLAY CENTRES OR NURSERIES.
+WE MUST GRASP THIS NETTLE FIRMLY AND PREVENT CONTINUED EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN AND KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, SHE SAID.
SHE WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT SCHOOLING IN OUR CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IS STILL NOT YET UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THAT THE INSTITUTIONS DO NOT YET HAVE TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED THE IR TRAINING FULL-TIME.
/+THIS IS