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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1981
TURNING TO THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE, MISS BENNETT SAID THE 274 POSTS FOR THE WHOLE OF THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE ARE TOTALLY INADEQUATE TO COPE WITH THE DEMANDS CREATED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION FOR NINE YEARS FROM PRIMARY ONE TO SECONDARY FORM THREE.
FURTHERMORE, MANY OFFICERS IN THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE ARE JUNIOR TO THE TEACHERS THEY ARE MEANT TO ADVISE AND WITH NO EXTRA TRAINING OR EXPERTISE.
+ IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT TEACHERS BECOME LAZY
AND UNWILLING TO STIMULATE THE IR STUDENTS WITH NEW IDEAS.
+THEY THEMSELVES NEED CONSTANT STIMULUS AND ENCOURAGEMENT
TO EXPERIMENT AND TRY OUT NEW METHODS.
+AND THIS MUST BE AN ON-GOING PROGRAMME, SHE ADDED.
MISS BENNETT WAS ALSO DISTURBED TO SEE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONTENT TO REPLY ON SURVEYS ON LANGAUAGE EACHING UNDERTAKEN BY OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND BY INTEREST ROUPS.
SHE CONSIDERED THAT TO BE HIGHLY DANGEROUS AS SUCH SURVEYS MIGHT CONTAIN QUESTIONS LOADED TO SECURE ANSWERS
HAT WOULD HIGHLIGHT SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE USED BY GROUPS NOT WELL-SATISFIED WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY.
+THE EDUCATIONAL ISTS OF HONG KONG ARE DEMANDING THAT THE MONEY SPENT ON LANGUAGE TEACHING SHOULD BE SPENT ON UP-TO-DATE AND SCIENTIFIC METHODS THAT WILL ENABLE OUR STUDENTS TO GAIN HIGH PROFICIENCY IN THE USE OF CHINESE, BOTH SPOKEN AND WRITTEN, AND COMPETENT FLUENCY IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH. +
SHE ENDED WITH A PLEA FOR THE PROVISION OF MORE TEACHERS TO SCHOOLS.
+OUR SCHOOLS, PRINCIPALS,
PRINCIPALS, STAFF AND STUDENTS HAVE WAITED A LONG TIME TO SEE THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
+OUR MODERN SOCIETY NEEDS THEM WITHOUT FURTHER POSTPONEMENT AND DELAY, SHE SAID,
THE REV THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN, WHO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF MISS BENNETT, SAID HE WAS NOT SATISFIED THAT THE NEEDED ANSWER HAD BEEN PROVIDED.
TO SUMMAR ISE HIS OWN IDEAS, FR MCGOVERN QUOTED AN EDITORIAL IN ONE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WEEKLYS, WHICH READ IN PART:
*POINT AFTER POINT SEEMED TO DEMAND EITHER EQUALLY CLEAR REFUTATION OR GENEROUS ACQUIESCENCE. IT WILL BE DEMAGING TO THE REPUTATION OF GOVERNMENT IF THE OFFICIAL REPLY IS A BLAND DEFENSIVE JUSTIFICATION OF EVERYTHING THAT GOVERNMENT HAS PROPOSED OR DONE
THEY (THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL) ARE ENTRENCHED IN RESPONSIBLE POSTS, AND THE IR DUTY IN DEBATE IS NOT TO SHOW THAT GOVERNMENT'S FIRST THOUGHTS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT RATHER TO SHOW THAT GOVERNMENT IS INTENT ON DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT IT IS READY, WHEN OCCASION OFFERS, TO ACCEPT VALID CRITICISM AND TO MODIFY ITS POLICY ACCORDINGLY.+
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