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TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1980.
MR. M.F. CHENG, A FORM II SCHOOL DROPOUT, HAD A DIFFERENT STORY.
HE QUITTED DAY SCHOOL BECAUSE OF POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
+1 WASN'T A-SER FOUS STUDENT WHEN I FIRST ENROLLED IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE AT THE CLEMENTI MIDDLE SCHOOL CENTRE BUT SOON I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE LEARNING ENTHUSIASM OF MY CLASS-MATES AND THE DEDICATION OF THE TEACHERS, MR. CHENG SAID.
*THE SPIRIT WAS CATCHING AND I WAS TOTALLY IMMERSED IN IT,+ HE ADDED.
THEIR SUCCESS IN ATTAINING HIGHER EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ATTENDED EVENING CLASSES OPERATED BY THE ADULT EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER (ADULT EDUCATION), MR. TANG CHUN-SING SAID THE AIM OF OUR EVENING SCHOOLS IS TO PROVIDE PEOPLE LIKE MR. YIP AND MR. CHENG WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE IR EDUCATION. THERE WERE OTHERS WHO WENT ON TO COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, ENTERED THE NURSING PROFESSION OR GOT PROMOTION BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGHER EDUCATIONAL QUAL IF ICATIONS.+
AT PRESENT SECONDARY SCHOOL EVENING COURSES ARE OFFERED AT 10 CENTRES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WITH AN ENROLMENT OF ABOUT 4 800. THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS ARE CLERKS OR FACTORY WORKERS.
THEY ARE ENROLLED IN EITHER THE CHINESE OR THE ENGLISH SECTION AND AIM AT SITTING THE HKCEE ON COMPLETION OF THEIR COURSE.
CLASSES MEET FIVE EVENINGS A WEEK AND THE ENTIRE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE LASTS SIX YEARS.
YEAR I TO 111 CLASSES ARE FREE BUT FOR YEAR IV TO VI A FEE OF $260 PER SCHOOL YEAR IS CHARGED.
MR. TANG DISCLOSED THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO ENLARGE THE EXISTING CURRICULUM BY INTRODUCING SCIENCE SUBJECTS OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY IN SENIOR CLASSES AND THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTING UP CENTRES IN THE NEW TOWNS.
THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE IS ONLY ONE OF THE MANY FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE ADULT EDUCATION SECTION OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY OPERATING 10 COURSES IN ALL, WITH A TOTAL ENROLMENT OF 24 441 STUDENTS IN 123 CENTRES. IN ADDITION, IT HAS 8 939 ACTIVE MEMBERS IN 16 ADULT EDUCATION AND RECREATION CENTRES.
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