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FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985
PUBLIC VIEWS SOUGHT ON OPEN EDUCATION
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THE EDUCATION COMMISSION TODAY CALLED FOR THE PUBLIC TO PUT FORWARD ITS VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT OF OPEN EDUCATION. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR TOPICS WHICH THE COMMISSION INTENDS TO COVER IN ITS SECOND REPORT. THE COMMISSION MADE ITS FIRST REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR IN OCTOBER 1984.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMISSION SAID THAT IN ITS FIRST REPORT THE COMMISSION HAD GIVEN PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION TO OPEN EDUCATION. THE COMMISSION HAD STATED THERE THAT +WHILST WE ENDORSE THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION THAT AN OPEN UNIVERSITY SHOULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG, WE SHALL, IN THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR WORK, EXAMINE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS.+
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT FOLLOWING THE REPORT BY A VISITING PANEL IN 1982 THE GOVERNMENT HAD ASKED THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE IN JULY 1983 TO CONSIDER THE FEASIBILITY OF AN OPEN UNIVERSITY IN HONG KONG. THE UPGC HAD COMPLETED ITS REPORT IN AUGUST 1984, CONCLUDING THAT +WHILST WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INSTITUTION BASED ON THE UNITED KINGDOM OPEN UNIVERSITY MODEL, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT A VERY HIGH PRIORITY IS GIVEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT WE WILL TERM OPEN EDUCATION'.
OPEN EDUCATION REFERS TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR BASIC OR
FURTHER EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT NORMALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR IT. THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT A PERSON MIGHT NOT NORMALLY BE ELIGIBLE BECAUSE HE OR SHE WAS BEYOND THE NORMAL AGE LIMITS OR WAS INADEQUATELY QUALIFIED.
+OPEN EDUCATION CAN OFFER SUCH A PERSON A SECOND CHANCE TO COMPLETE HIS OR HER EDUCATION, + HE SAID.
OPEN EDUCATION INCLUDES DISTANCE LEARNING BY CORRESPONDENCE COURSES, RADIO AND TELEVISION PROGRAMMES; PART-TIME ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; EXTERNAL DEGREE AND DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY A UNIVERSITY, POLYTECHNIC OR RECOGNISED COLLEGE AND FULL-TIME COURSES FOR MATURE STUDENTS.
+THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WISHES TO CONSIDER WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO EXTEND OPEN EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE COMMISSION HAD CONSIDERED THE WIDE RANGE OF COMMENTS OFFERED BY THE PUBLIC FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT BY THE VISITING PANEL.
+MOST OF THESE COMMENTS RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE IDEA OF AN OPEN UNIVERSITY, HE SAID. THE COMMISSION IS NOW LOOKING SPECIFICALLY FOR PUBLIC VIEWS ON OTHER ASPECTS OF OPEN EDUCATION FROM THE PRIMARY TO THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS.+
/THE SPOKESMAN