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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1981
THE PROVISION OF MORE GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WHICH NORMALLY OPERATE ON A WHOLE-DAY BASIS, WILL IMPROVE THE SITUATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, HE SAID.
DISCUSSING SCHOOL STAFFING, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TEACHERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO INCREASE THE TEACHER TO CLASS RATIO FROM 1.1:1 TO 1.2:1 FROM NEXT SEPTEMBER.
+WE ARE COMMITTED ALSO TO THE PROVISION OF TWO REMEDIAL LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN EACH STANDARD SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR FROM SEPTEMBER 1982. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE TWO COMMITMENTS WILL REQUIRE ABOUT 1 500 AND 650 ADDITIONAL TEACHERS RESPECTIVELY, MR TOPLEY SAID.
FURTHER PROPOSALS WOULD REQUIRE 1 600 TEACHERS TO HELP IN SUCH AREAS AS CAREER COUNSELLING, REMEDIAL TEACHING AND EXTRA- CURRICULA ACTIVITIES, HE SAID.
A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE ADDITIONAL TEACHERS WOULD HAVE TO BE SPECIALLY TRAINED AND THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION MUST THEREFORE EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY TO MEET THIS DEMAND.
THIS MEANT THAT THE PRESENT ENROLMENT OF 1 900 WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASED TO OVER 2 500 IN THE 1982-3 ACADEMIC YEAR.
REFERRING TO OTHER REMARKS ABOUT SENIOR STAFF OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, HE SAID: THEY DO VISIT SCHOOLS AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS.+
ON A SUGGESTION ABOUT A UNIFIED SYSTEM OF ENTRY INTO THE TERTIARY LEVEL INSTITUTIONS, LIKE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, MR TOPLEY SAID THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN CONSIDERED BUT FOUND TO BE OF QUESTIONABLE SUITABILITY FOR HONG KONG.
SUCH A CENTRAL COUNCIL OF ADMISSIONS MADE SENSE IN BRITAIN, BUT IN HONG KONG, WHICH HAS ONLY TWO UNIVERSITIES, THE CASE WAS LESS STRONG, HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF ADULT TRAINING OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA TO HELP THEM INTEGRATE INTO THE WORK FORCE, MR TOPLEY SAID STEPS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE POSSIBLE DEMAND.
DISCUSSING THE RECENT VISIT OF THE PANEL OF VISITORS CONDUCTING THE OVERALL REVIEW OF EDUCATION, MR TOPLEY EXPLAINED THAT, THOUGH THEY MADE NO SPECIFIC ATTEMPT TO INTERVIEW PARENTS AS A GROUP THEY HAD ISSUED A GENERAL INVITATION TO MEET ALL PEOPLE. THE PANEL VISITED A WIDE VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONS AND MET A WIDE SPECTRUM OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS. THE PANEL WOULD BE RETURNING IN MARCH NEXT YEAR FOR SOME FINAL REVIEW MEETINGS BEFORE MAKING THE IR REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT, MR TOPLEY SAID.