WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983
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+BASICALLY WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS BILL THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT MAKE CHANGES IN LONG-EXISTING INSTITUTIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING THOSE INSTITUTIONS, + SHE SAID.
+LET US NOTE WITH PLEASURE THAT OUR OFFICIALS DO LISTEN TO THE IR CRITICS AND CHANGE THEIR PROPOSALS, MISS BENNETT ADDED.
MISS BENNETT SAID THAT SHE WAS GLAD ALL THREE YEARS OF KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION WOULD NOW BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
BUT SHE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO EXERCISE PROPER SUPERVISION OF THE KINDERGARTENS.
+THERE MUST BE A RAPID INCREASE NOT ONLY OF THE TRAINING OF KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, BUT ALSO OF THE EXPERTISE IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND IN THE NUMBER OF KINDERGARTEN INSPECTORS, SHE SAID.
MRS CHOW ALSO THANKED THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR THE +PROMPT AND RESPONSIVE WAY+ IN WHICH THEY HANDLED THE REACTION TRIGGERED BY THE EDUCATION (AMENDMENT) BILL AND THE CHILD CARE CENTRES (AMENDMENT) BILL, BOTH OF 1982.
+NOW WE WELCOME THE FACT THAT THIS MOST RECENT LEGISLATION NOT ONLY REMOVES THE KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS' FEARS, BUT ALSO BRINGS THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH CLASSES UNDER THE CORRECT UMBRELLA THAT OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, MRS CHOW SAID.
BUT SHE ADDED THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY IN APPLYING THE LOWER AGE LIMIT OF THREE-YEAR OLDS FOR ENTRY TO NURSERY CLASSES AS THE LOWEST AGE LIMIT FOR ENTRANCE TO KINDERGARTENS IS THREE YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS,
+OBVIOUSLY, THIS WILL HAVE TO BE APPROACHED WITH COMMONSENSE ON THE PART OF THE PARENTS, THE OPERATORS OF THE NURSERY CLASSES AND THE AUTHORITIES, MRS CHOW SAID.
IN MOVING THE BILL THROUGH THE COMMITTEE STAGE AND THE FINAL READING, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON COLVYN HAYE, THANKED THE THREE UNOFFICIALS FOR THEIR +HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS AND SUPPORT OF THIS BILL+.
+1 AM PARTICULARLY GRATIFIED THAT THEY SEE THE BILL AS TRIBUTE TO A RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATION, AND I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT WHAT THEY HAVE SAID TODAY WILL BE VERY MUCH IN MIND AS WE SEEK TO IMPLEMENT THE IMPROVEMENTS TO NURSERY AND KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ENVISAGED IN THE WHITE PAPER AND GIVEN FORCE BY THIS LEGISLATION, MR HAYE SAID.
/13.