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TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1984
MR HAYE SAID : +1 AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY THAT OUR EXPECTATIONS REGARDING THE PRACTICABILITY OF THE SYLLABUS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION HAVE BEEN REALISED AND THAT FINANCIAL APPROVAL HAS BEEN GIVEN TO EXTEND THE SCHEME TO A FURTHER 75 SCHOOLS.+
EACH OF THESE SCHOOLS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH 11 MICROCOMPUTERS WITH VISUAL DISPLAY UNITS, 12 DISC DRIVES, ONE CASSETTE RECORDER AND TWO PRINTERS WITH INTERFACES. THE TOTAL NON-RECURRENT COST IS ESTIMATED AT $9 MILLION.
IN ADDITION THE EXISTING 30 PILOT SCHOOLS WILL EACH BE GIVEN TWO MORE MICROCOMPUTERS WITH VISUAL DISPLAY UNITS AS WELL AS TWO DISC DRIVES. THE COST OF THIS ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $0.4 MILLION.
MR JOHN WINFIELD, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD BEEN FOUND DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION THAT THE INITIAL EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION NEEDED TO BE SUPPLEMENTED, TO STRENGTHEN THE TEACHING OF COMPUTER STUDIES, ESPECIALLY THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS.
FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE IN 1984/85, THE DEPARTMENT HAD SECURED A FURTHER SUM OF $1.9 MILLION FOR MAINTENANCE AND RELATED PURPOSES.
THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO ISSUED A GENERAL SCHOOLS CIRCULAR DRAWING PRINCIPALS' ATTENTION TO THE EXTENSION OF THE COMPUTER STUDIES PILOT SCHEME AND INVITING APPLICATIONS TO PARTICIPATE, TO BE SUBMITTED BY FEBRUARY 22.
MR WINFIELD SAID THAT THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE ADDITIONAL 75 SCHOOLS WILL BE BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION, TEACHERS' QUALIFICATIONS AND ANY READILY IDENTIFIABLE
INTEREST IN COMPUTER STUDIES SHOWN BY THE SCHOOL.
TO ACQUAINT INTERESTED HEADS WITH THE COMPUTER STUDIES CURRICULUM AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE SCHEME, A SEMINAR WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 16 AT THE CLEMENTI MIDDLE SCHOOL, 30 FORTRESS HILL ROAD, HONG KONG.
LICENCE REMINDER ON EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
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A SPOKESMAN OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) REMINDED PROSPECTIVE OPERATORS OF EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW AND OBTAIN A LICENCE BEFORE STARTING BUSINESS, THE LICENCE FEE IS $300 A YEAR.
HE POINTED OUT THAT RECENTLY AN OPERATOR WAS CONVICTED BY A CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRATE FOR OPERATING AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY WITHOUT A LICENCE.
HE REITERATED THAT IT IS AN OFFENCE UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE TO OPERATE AN UNLICENSED EMPLOYMENT AGENCY AND THAT AN OFFENDER MAY BE PROSECUTED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND MAY BE LIABLE ON CONVICTION, TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000.
THE SPOKESMAN