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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1985
COMMISSION'S APPROACH WELCOMED
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THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S +RATIONAL AND COST EFFECTIVE+ APPROACH IN PHASING OUT THE JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ASSESSMENT (JSEA) WAS HAILED BY A LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADJOURNMENT DEBATE
ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 1, DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP SAID SHE WELCOMED THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT AND SUPPORTED THE PROPOSALS MADE.
SHE SAID SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE INCREASE IN SUBSIDISED POST-FORM III EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES COMPRISING VOCATIONAL AND GENERAL EDUCATION FOR SOME 95.2 PER CENT OF THE 15-YEAR-OLD POPULATION SO THAT JSEA COULD EFFECTIVELY BE PHASED OUT IN 1991.
DR IP POINTED OUT THAT BUYING FORM IV PLACES IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE QUALITY MAY BRING FORWARD THAT DATE, BUT SHE PREFERRED THE COMMISSION'S STEADY QUALITY, LONG TERM APPROACH.
+WE MUST CONVINCE PARENTS THAT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IS COMPARABLE AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PARTICULARLY FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, SHE ADDED.
SHE BELIEVED IT COULD BE OUTRIGHT HARMFUL AND A WASTE
OF TIME TO PRESSURISE A CHILD TO PURSUE A GENERAL STREAM WHEN HIS INCLINATION AND ABILITY WAS TOWARDS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
+WITHOUT SUCH ACTIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHATEVER NEW MEANS OF PLACEMENT IS TO BE DEVISED TO SUBSTITUTE JSEA WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PATHOLOGICALLY COMPETITIVE, SHE SAID.
AS REGARDS THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, DR IP SAID ALTHOUGH SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE COMMISSION, SHE WAS CONVINCED THAT THE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS OF OPEN EDUCATION WOULD SATISFY THE ASPIRATIONS OF THOSE WHO WANTED TO LEARN BUT HAD MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY,
SHE FELT THAT THE LARGE NUMBER OF CURRENT OPEN EDUCATION PROGRAMMES THAT EXIST IN HONG KONG NOW NEEDED CO-ORDINATION AND LOOKED FORWARD TO THE COMMISSION'S FUTURE PROPOSAL OF A CO-ORDINATING BODY.
+LOGICALLY IT SHOULD ALSO SERVE AS AN ACCREDITING BODY FOR COURSES IT CO-ORDINATES,+ SHE SAID,
IN PARTICULAR, SHE ADDED, THERE SHOULD BE A UNIFIED PUBLICATION EACH TERM GIVING INFORMATION ON OPEN EDUCATION AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.
+ IT MUST ALSO BE MADE POSSIBLE FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ACCREDITED COURSES TO RESULT IN THE GRANT OF SOME RECOGNISED DIPLOMAS OR THE LIKE,+ DR IP SAID.
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