THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1985
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SET UP PROPER EDUCATION POLICIES, PRINCIPLES
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THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO HAVE A SET OF PROPER EDUCATION POLICIES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, IN ADDITION TO THE PROVISION OF SUFFICIENT ECONOMIC RESOURCES IF IT WANTS TO UPGRADE THE STANDARD AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, THE HON PAUL INE NG SAID AT THE ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE TODAY (THURSDAY).
COMMENTING ON SOME OF THE EXISTING EDUCATION POLICY,
MRS NG SAID SHE SHARED THE VIEW OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE EDUCATION CIRCLE THAT EVER SINCE THE CURRENT SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES ALLOCATION SYSTEM CAME INTO PRACTICE IN 1978, THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF PRIMARY STUDENTS IN VARIOUS FUNDAMENTAL SUBJECTS, INCLUDING CHINESE, ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS, HAD TENDED TO DECLINING.
+ THE REASON IS PERHAPS THAT THE CURRICULA OF SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS ARE ORIENTATED SOLELY TO EQUIP STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO COPE WITH THE APTITUDE TEST, AND HAVE NEGLECTED THE TRANSMISSION OF BASIC KNOWLEDGE, SHE SAID.
THEREFORE, SHE SUGGESTED THE GOVERNMENT MODIFY THE PRESENT APTITUDE TEST TO THAT OF A TEST IN THREE SUBJECTS - CHINESE, ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS.
AS FOR OTHER SUBJECTS, SHE PROPOSED TO KEEP THE MARKING SYSTEM PRESENTLY ADOPTED BY TEACHERS TO ASSESS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS.
MRS NG ALSO URGED THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO CONSIDER, DURING ITS REVIEW OF THE MEASURE TO CONTROL THE ADMISSION OF PRIMARY ONE PUPILS, COUNTER-MEASURES ON PARENTS PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION ON RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
IN ADDITION, SHE ADVOCATED CHANGES TO THE EXISTING POINTS SYSTEM WHERE APPLICANTS WITH AN ELDER BROTHER OR SISTER STUDYING IN THE SCHOOL TO WHICH THE APPLICATIONS WERE FILED, WERE AWARDED HIGHER MARKS.
THE SYSTEM WAS GROSSLY UNFAIR TO THE ELDEST SON OR DAUGHTER OF A FAMILY, WHO SHOULD BE GIVEN EXTRA POINTS IN ORDER TO CHECK THE IMBALANCE, SHE ADDED.
ON THE SUBJECT OF FULL-TIME BASIC CRAFT COURSES,
MRS NG SAID SHE FULLY ENDORSED THE EXTENSION OF THE PRESENT
ONE-YEAR COURSES TO 18 OR 24 MONTHS, SO THAT STUDENTS COULD PROCEED BY MEANS OF BRIDGING UNITS TO TECHNICIAN COURSES AND ENJOY EXEMPTION FROM MORE THAN ONE YEAR OF AN APPRENTICESHIP.
THIS IS A CONSTRUCTIVE RECOMMENDATION AND IS IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT'S SENIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY, + SHE SAID.
TURNING TO