WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1985
* THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FURTHER 35 SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(INCLUDING THE 11 APPROVED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF PASSING OUT FORMS 1 TO 3 BOUGHT PLACES IN THE LESS SATISFACTORY PRIVATE SCHOOLS),
*
THE INTRODUCTION OF A MORE SYMMETRICAL CLASS STRUCTURE IN EXISTING SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO ENABLE FORM 3 LEAVERS TO PROCEED TO FORMS 4 AND 5 WITHOUT HAVING TO CHANGE SCHOOL,
* THE USE OF BOUGHT PLACES IN FORMS 4 AND 5 OF THOSE PRIVATE PROFIT-MAKING SCHOOLS WHICH CAN OFFER A SATISFACTORY STANDARD OF EDUCATION, THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME CRAFT PLACES, AND
* A BROADENING OF THE CURRICULUM TO CATER FOR THE FULL
RANGE OF STUDENT ABILITY, HE SAID.
BECAUSE THERE WAS A PHYSICAL LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS THAT COULD BE BUILT ANNUALLY. THE FULL EFFECTS OF THIS EXPANSION PROGRAMME WOULD NOT BE FELT UNTIL 1991 AT WHICH TIME THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS WOULD ALLOW JSEA TO BE PHASED OUT, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, DURING THE PERIOD UP TO 1991, THE PROVISION OF FORM 3 PUBLIC SECTOR PLACES WOULD SHOW A STEADY EXPANSION, AND THE PRESSURE WHICH THE JSEA PUT ON STUDENTS, PARENTS AND SCHOOL AUTHORITIES WOULD STEADILY LESSEN, HE SAID.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, CONDUCT A FORMAL OPERATIONAL REVIEW OF THE JSEA WITH A VIEW TO LIGHTENING THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN OF JSEA ON THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS.
ON THE QUESTION OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DETERMINED TO PROVIDE A BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF GENERAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE POST-FORM 3 LEVEL TO MEET DIFFERENT STUDENT APTITUDES AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS FOR DIFFERENT EDUCATED TALENTS, AND TO MAKE THESE TWO EQUALLY IMPORTANT FORMS OF EDUCATION ATTRACTIVE TO FORM 3 LEAVERS.
SPEAKING OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION, HE SAID THERE WAS A NEED TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS.
THIS WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY STRENGTHENING THE TEACHING STAFF OF CHINESE IN SECORNFFTLCHOOLS AND BY PROVIDING MORE TEACHERS OF ENGLISH AND OTHER RESOURCES TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHICH USE CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION, HE SAID.
SUBJECT TO THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON THE SETTING UP OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE FOUNDATION WHICH WOULD BE SOUGHT VERY SHORTLY, HE HOPED A START COULD BE MADE THIS YEAR TO THE PREPARATION OF TEXTBOOKS AND TEACHING MATERIALS WRITTEN IN CHINESE FOR USE BY SCHOOLS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.
+THE GOVERNMENT