WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1980
+THE QUESTION CONCERNING HUMAN BEINGS IS MORE IMPORTANT AND COMPLICATED THAN THE CASE OF MACHINERY.+
HE SUPPORTED THE SETTING UP OF A SPECIAL TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR THIS PURPOSE.
DR HU ALSO CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SET UP FREE CHILD CARE CENTRES AND KINDERGARTENS FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CAPABLE OF EDUCATING THEIR OWN CHILDREN,
HE SUGGESTED THAT THE ROLE OF THE PO LEUNG KUK SHOULD BE ENLARGED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
ON THE ACTIVITY APPROACH FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION, DR HU POINTED OUT THAT A BALANCE MUST BE STRUCK BETWEEN THIS TYPE OF APPROACH AND THE NORMAL WAY OF LEARNING.
+THE ACTIVITY APPROACH IS A GOOD EDUCATIONAL METHOD TO EMPLOY IN ORDER TO DEVELOP CHILDREN'S INTELLIGENCE AND THE IR APPRECIATION OF VARIOUS MATTERS, BUT IT SHOULD ONLY BE APPLIED UP TO PRIMARY 3 TO ENABLE US TO ASSESS ITS IMPLICATIONS AND EFFECTS OF LEARNING BY YOUNG CHILDREN, HE SAID.
THE HON WONG LAM SAID HE WAS NOT IN FAVOUR OF THE PROPOSAL TO BASE THE ALLOCATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES ON A DISTRICT SYSTEM AS IT MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD IN THE LONG RUN+.
HE NOTED THAT ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SYSTEM WAS TO PREVENT THE CONCENTRATION OF THE MOST ABLE CHILDREN IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS. BUT THE PROPOSAL IS DEFECTIVE IN THAT THE CREAM+ WILL STILL BE CONCENTRATED IN A SMALL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, HE SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GREEN PAPER ALLOWS THE SCHOOLS TO HAVE AN ALLOCATION OF 15 PER CENT DISCRETIONARY PLACES WHEN SELECTING PUPILS.
I DO NOT OBJECT TO SCHOOL AUTHORITIES EXERCISING THE IR RIGHTS TO ADMIT CERTAIN TYPES OF PUPILS, TREATING THEM AS SPECIAL CASES.
+BUT IN ACTUAL FACT, 15 PER CENT IS NOT AN ACCURATE PERCENTAGE BECAUSE APART FROM SELECTING PUPILS ACCORDING TO THIS PERCENTAGE, THE SCHOOLS MAY ADMIT PUPILS THEY FAVOUR UNDER THE CONDITIONS MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 6.17 OF THE GREEN PAPER.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, THE 'CREAM' WILL STILL REMAIN IN A FEW SCHOOLS EVEN WHEN THE DISTRICT SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.
ANOTHER DIFFICULTY IN IMPLEMENTING THE SYSTEM IS HOW TO DECIDE UPON DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, MR WONG POINTED OUT.
HE OBSERVED THAT MANY POPULAR SCHOOLS ARE IN FACT LOCATED IN JUST A FEW DISTRICTS WHERE THE MORE AFFLUENT LIVE.
IF THE DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY INTO DISTRICTS IS IMPERFECT, THE RICH WILL BE GROUPED IN ONE DISTRICT AND THE POOR IN ANOTHER, WHICH MEANS THAT CHILDREN COMING FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RECEIVE EDUCATION TOGETHER, HE SAID.
/MR WONG