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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1980
CLOSE WATCH ON PRIMARY ONE ADMISSION PROCEDURES
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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WARNED TODAY THAT ITS OFFICERS WOULD BE KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON SCHOOL PROCEDURES REGARDING ADMISSION OF PRIMARY 1 PUPILS FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR STARTING IN SEPTEMBER 1981.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT IT IS GOVERNMENT POLICY THAT ALL CHILDREN OF SUITABLE AGE WHO APPLY FOR ENTRY TO PRIMARY 1 CLASSES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION WITHOUT BEING REQUIRED TO TAKE ANY EXAMINATION IN ATTAINMENT.
+ IT IS EDUCATIONALLY UNDESIRABLE THAT CHILDREN SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO AN EXAMINATION PROCEDURE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE IR PRIMARY SCHOOLING.
+FURTHERMORE, ATTAINMENT TESTS AT AROUND THE AGE OF SIX HAVE LITTLE OR NO VALUE ON FUTURE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WHILE THEY ARE UNDESIRABLE ON SOCIAL GROUNDS SINCE THEY CLEARLY FAVOUR CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD FORMAL PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOLING, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE URGED ALL PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHICH USE ATTAINMENT TESTS AS A MEANS OF SELECTING CHILDREN FOR ENTRY TO PRIMARY 1 TO ADOPT SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.
THE SPOKESMAN SUGGESTED AS GUIDELINE THAT PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND EIGHT WHO LIVE CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL AND WHO HAVE BROTHERS OR SISTERS STUDYING IN THE SCHOOL.
A RANDOM SELECTION AMONG CHILDREN WITH EQUAL CLAIMS IS ANOTHER ACCEPTABLE METHOD OF DECIDING ON THOSE WHO SHOULD BE ADMITTED IF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS IS VERY LARGE.
SOME SCHOOLS FAVOUR PERSONAL INTERVIEWS AND THIS TOO IS
TO BE RECOMMENDED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE ALSO DREW THE ATTENTION OF SCHOOL HEADS TO THE REQUIREMENT TO DISPLAY PROMINENTLY A NOTICE INDICATING CLEARLY THE PERIOD FOR DISTRIBUTION OF APPLICATION FORMS, AND DATES OF INTERVIEW OR OTHER
INFORMAL SELECTION PROCEDURES.
+ IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS ON THE NOTICE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN THE SIX TO TWELVE AGE GROUP WHO ARE NOT IN SCHOOL SHOULD APPLY FOR ADMISSION, HE SAID.
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