5
UN
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986
REFERRING TO THE RULES GOVERNING THE USE OF DISTRICT BOARD FUNDS, MRS NG SAID THESE COULD BE MADE MORE FLEXIBLE AND PROJECTS WHICH WOULD INCUR ONLY LIMITED RECURRENT EXPENDITURE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE UNDERTAKEN.
SHE POINTED OUT THE LIMIT ON MAXIMUM EXPENDITURE ON EACH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECT WAS $300 000, BUT FUNDS COULD NOT BE USED TO COVER RECURRENT EXPENSES, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE PROJECTS MIGHT BE.
+AS A RESULT OF THIS RULE, A DISTRICT BOARD COULD NOT UNDERTANE SOME WORTHWHILE PROJECTS, SUCH AS SQUATTER AREA PATH LIGHTING PROJECTS, BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS WOULD ENTAIL SOME RECURRENT EXPENDITURES,+ SHE SAID.
SINCE DISTRICT BOARDS HAD MATURED CONSIDERABLY, MRS NG BELIEVED THESE RESTRICTIONS SHOULD NOW BE LIFTED.
GOVT URGED TO SET UP CURRICULUM COUNCIL
*****
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT AND WELL-ORGANISED BODY TO REFORM THE CURRICULUM TO KEEP IT IN LINE WITH IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
THIS SUGGESTION WAS MADE BY THE HON SZETO WAH WHEN SPEAKING AT THE BUDGET DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).
HE SAID THE EXPANSION OF EDUCATION IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF SCHOOL PLACES HAD ALREADY ATTAINED A CERTAIN TARGET AND INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION TO IMPROVE QUALITY COULD ALSO BE GRADUALLY INCREASED, BUT AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, WHICH WAS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED.
+ JUDGING FROM THE PRESENT BUDGET AND THOSE IN THE PAST, WE CAN SEE THAT LITTLE IMPORTANCE HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.
MR SZETO OBSERVED THAT THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS AND THE CURRICULUM WERE THE TWO MOST CRUCIAL ELEMENTS IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.
HE DESCRIBED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS AND THE CURRICULUM AS ONE BETWEEN A COOK AND HIS COOKING MATERIALS. SAYING A COOK WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A GOOD MEAL DESPITE HIS SKILL IN COOKING IF THERE WERE NO RICE.
/+IN PARTICULAR,