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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1980
MR WONG SAID THAT IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT DISTRICT NETS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT
IN THAT, UNLIKE PRIMARY 1 PUPILS, FORM 1 STUDENTS ARE OLDER AND CAN AFFORD TO ATTEND SCHOOLS FARTHER OR EVEN VERY FAR FROM HOME.
HENCE, HE THOUGHT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND DISTANCE OF TRAVEL WHEN INTRODUCING THE SYSTEM FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
HE SAID WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO IS TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO EFFECT OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN PRIMARY EDUCATION.
+1 AM CONVINCED THAT IT IS MORE FRUITFUL TO GET AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM THAN TO IMPLEMENT THE ALLOCATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS BY NATURE ONLY AN EXPEDIENT MEASURE.
+FURTHERMORE, OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN PRIMARY EDUCATION WILL PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING THE STANDARD OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND REDUCING THE COMPETITION FOR ADMITTANCE TO POPULAR SCHOOLS, + HE ADDED.
TURNING TO THE TRAINING OF KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, MR WONG FELT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STANDARDISE THE TRAINING COURSES AND PUT THEM UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF A COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OR A DEPARTMENT SO AS TO BRING ABOUT BETTER ADMINISTRATION AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CURRICULUM.
AS FOR THE RE-TRAINING OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, MR WONG QUER IED WHY THOSE ENTERING THE PROFESSION BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1981 WERE NOT REQUIRED TO UNDERGO THIS KIND OF RE-TRAINING WHEREAS NEW TEACHERS ENTERING AFTER THIS DATE HAD TO BE RETRAINED,
IN HIS OPINION, IT IS THE VETERAN TEACHERS RATHER THAN NEW RECRUITS WHO SHOULD BE RETRAINED, SAY, AT APPROPRIATE INTERVALS OF EVERY FIVE OR TEN YEARS.
ON THE SUBJECT OF TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, HE WAS WORRIED BY A PARAGRAPH IN THE GREEN PAPER WHICH STATES +DUE TO PARENTAL PREFERENCE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AIM TO TEACH IN THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH IN FORM 1 PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARE UNABLE TO PRODUCE PUPILS TRUELY CAPABLE OF LEARNING IN THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH.+
BUT MOST
HE THOUGHT EITHER ENGLISH SHOULD BE TREATED AS A SPECIAL SUBJECT AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY CAN COPE WITH A NEW ENVIRONMENT ON ENTERING SECONDARY SCHOOL, OR SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE CLEARLY DIRECTED NOT TO TEACH IN THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH AT LOWER SECONDARY LEVEL IN ORDER TO AVOID HAMPERING THE PROGRESS OF STUDENTS IN OTHER SUBJECTS UNNECESSARILY.
MR WONG WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO REINFORCE MORAL TRAINING FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
+CHINESE PEOPLE OFTEN EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM MORAL EDUCATION, HOPING THAT STUDENTS WOULD BECOME SAINTS OR SAGES THROUGH SUCH EDUCATION,+ HE SAID.
+THIS IS SOMETHING UNNECESSARY, BUT THEN IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT PRIMARY EDUCATION CAN ENTIRELY IGNORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORAL EDUCATION,+