WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1980
GREEN PAPER ON CHILD EDUCATION APPRAISED
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THE AD HOC GROUP OF UMELCO MEMBERS FORMED TO STUDY THE GREEN PAPER ON PRIMARY EDUCATION AND PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES HAS CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO RECONSIDER THE PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE A UNIFIED SYSTEM OF PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION.
MOVING DEBATE ON THE GREEN PAPER IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, CONVENOR OF THE GROUP, THE REV THE HON JOYCE BENNETT, SAID THAT WHILE MANY ASPECTS OF THE GREEN PAPER WERE COMMENDABLE, THERE WERE HOWEVER CERTAIN BASIC POINTS THAT SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED.
+THE ROOT OF OUR DISSATISFACTION LIES WITH THE REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONE DEPARTMENT AND ONE ORDINANCE TO CONTROL ALL PRE-SCHOOL SERVICES,+ SHE SAID.
+WE NOTED THAT THIS WAS REJECTED SINCE IT WAS THOUGHT THE MARGINAL ADVANTAGES WOULD NOT JUSTIFY THE ADMINISTRATIVE UPHEAVAL NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A PROPOSAL,
+ THE PUBLIC HAS AWAITED WITH EAGERNESS THIS GREEN PAPER BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH WRONG AT PRESENT WITH THE AFFAIRS OF CHILDREN UNDER SIX BEING ADMINISTERED BY TWO DEPARTMENTS.+
INSTEAD, MISS BENNETT OBSERVED THAT THE GROUP FOUND THE OLD SYSTEMS PERPETUATED AND THERE WAS NO REALLY FRESH THINKING IN THE GREEN PAPER.
SHE STRESSED THAT A SEPARATE ORGANISATION, WHERE THE NEEDS OF THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD ARE CLEARLY LAID DOWN, HAS MANY ADVANTAGES.
+WE NEED A PRE-SCHOOL SERVICES SECTION OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES WHERE THE WHOLE GAMUT OF OUR SERVICES FOR THE YOUNG CAN BE DRAWN TOGETHER.
+ SEE THIS NEW SECTION CLARIFYING THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN NOT ONLY OF THE POORER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE BOTH PARENTS WORK, BUT ALSO OF THE PROFESSIONAL AND MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES WHERE PARENTS WORK IN ORDER TO SECURE A HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING.+
SHE AGREED THERE IS MUCH OVERLAP BETWEEN CHILD CARE CENTRES AND KINDERGARTENS BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE TIGHTENING UP OF TWO SEPARATE ORDINANCES WILL NOT OVERCOME THE PROBLEMS OF SEPARATING THESE TWO TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS.
FURTHERMORE SUCH LAWS WILL CAUSE ADDED FRUSTRATION AND CYNICISM TO THE OPERATORS WHO WILL SEEK TO GET ROUND THE REGULATIONS AS THEY CONTINUE TO SERVE THE KINDS OF FAMILIES FOR WHOM THEY ARE ALREADY CATERING, SHE SAID.
AS TO THE PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS AND INTERVIEWS TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS, MISS BENNETT OPINED THAT IT CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RECOGNISES THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF ITS KINDERGARTEN INSPECTORATE SINCE IT HAS DECIDED TO CONTROL THE KINDERGARTENS BY THIS NEW METHOD OF ALLOCATING CHILDREN TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS BY COMPUTER.
/+CERTAINLY