WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1982
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MR HAYE SAID ALTHOUGH HE HAD ADVISED KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS THAT THIS NEW LOWER AGE REQUIREMENT SHOULD BE INTRODUCED GRADUALLY BETWEEN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AND 1985, HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE DECISION ON HOW TO INTRODUCE THIS NEW AGE CRITERION WAS UP TO THE OPERATORS THEMSELVES.
COMMENTING THAT SOME KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS HAD EXPRESSED UNEASE OVER THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS WHICH THEY WOULD BE EXPECTED TO MEET FROM 1985 ONWARDS IN RESPECT OF BABY CLASSES MR HAYE NOTED; IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF CONSULTATION AND FLEXIBILITY, TO WHICH I HAVE ALREADY REFERRED, I PROPOSE IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS, WITH A VIEW TO
RESOLVING OUTSTANDING DIFFICULTIES AND FINALISING MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BABY CLASSES, OR NURSERY CLASSES AS I SHOULD PREFER TO CALL THEM,+
MR HAYE SAID THE SECOND AMENDMENT ARISING FROM THE WHITE PAPER REFLECTED THE IMPORTANCE THAT WAS TO BE ATTACHED TO HAVING PROPERLY QUALIFIED PERSONS AS PRINCIPALS OF KINDERGARTENS.
THE WHITE PAPER STATES THAT IT IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL THAT THE PRINCIPAL OF A KINDERGARTEN SHOULD ATTEND A TWO-YEAR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TRAINING COURSE, UNLESS HE OR SHE POSSESSES A QUALIFICATION, FOLLOWING A COURSE OF STUDY CONTAINING A KINDERGARTEN TRAINING ELEMENT,
A SECTION OF THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE, WHICH ENABLES THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TO REFUSE TO APPROVE A TEACHER AS THE PRINCIPAL OF A SCHOOL, WAS AMENDED BY THE BILL TO ENABLE HIM TO REFUSE APPROVAL, WHERE IN THE CASE OF A KINDERGARTEN, HE WAS NOT SATISFIED THAT THE TEACHER WAS APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED TO BE THE PRINCIPAL.
ANOTHER SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH ALLOWS THE DIRECTOR TO WITHDRAW HIS APPROVAL, WAS SIMILARLY AMENDED BY THE BILL, HE ADDED.
THE DIRECTOR ALSO SAID THAT OTHER WHITE PAPER PROPOSALS CONCERNING KINDERGARTENS HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN EFFECT TO, BY AMENDMENTS TO EDUCATION REGULATIONS WHICH WERE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE ON JUNE 24.
THESE INCLUDE NEW PROVISIONS REGARDING SPACE REQUIREMENTS AND CLASS SIZE, TOGETHER WITH SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTENS, IT IS THE INTENTION THAT THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS WILL COME INTO OPERATION IN SEPTEMBER 1986, + MR HAYE SAID.
MR HAYE SAID THE BILL FURTHER PROPOSED TO REQUIRE THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF A SCHOOL TO RECOMMEND AN ACTING SUPERVISOR FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WHEN THE SUPERVISOR WAS ABSENT FROM HONG KONG OR WAS ILL FOR A PERIOD OF NOT LESS THAN 28 DAYS.
ANOTHER PROPOSAL SET OUT IN THE BILL PROVIDES FOR THE APPOINTMENT BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION OF A SCHOOL MANAGER, WHENEVER A SCHOOL HAS, FOR ANY REASON, NO MANAGER, MR HAYE SAIL.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
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