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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1986
CONCERNING THE COST OF A PLACE IN A GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AS AGAINST A PLACE IN AN AIDED SCHOOL, MR HENDERSON CONCEDED THAT IT WAS QUITE TRUE THAT THE COST WAS HIGHER, ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF HIGHER STAFF OVERHEADS.
+ IT WAS LARGELY FOR THIS REASON THAT THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED IN 1965 THAT, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, ALL NEW PUBLIC-SECTOR SCHOOLS SHOULD HENCEFORTH BE AIDED RATHER THAN GOVERNMENT-RUN.
+AS A RESULT OF THIS POLICY, THERE WILL IN THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR BE A TOTAL OF 857 AIDED SCHOOLS COMPARED WITH 86 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED THAT IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF AT LEAST SOME SCHOOLS.
+
+THESE PROVIDE A BENCHMARK OF THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE AND, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT, ENSURE THAT THE EUDCATION DEPARTMENT REMAINS IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE REALITIES OF RUNNING SCHOOLS, + HE SAID.
ON A PROPOSAL THAT AN INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM COUNCIL BE FORMED, MR HENDERSON SAID THE EDUCATION COMMISSION UNDERTOOK IN
ITS REPORT NO. 1 TO REVIEW THE PROCESS OF CURRICULUM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMEMT DURING A LATER PHASE OF ITS WORK AND THESE IDEAS WOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED IN THAT CONTEXT.
REFERRING TO A QUESTION ON THE ADEQUACY OF CO-ORDINATION IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS IN PROVIDING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, HE SAID CO-ORDINATION WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE POLICY BRANCH AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, AND ALSO THROUGH THE VARIOUS CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION, FORMAL AND INFORMAL, BETWEEN THE INSTITUTIONS CONCERNED.
TURNING TO LABOUR MATTERS, MR HENDERSON SAID HE HAD TOLD THE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS REASSESSING THE ARGUMENTS BOTH FOR AND AGAINST A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND.
+THAT REASSESSMENT IS NEARING COMPLETION AND THE RESULTS OF IT WILL, I HOPE, PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THIS COMPLEX ISSUE, HE ADDED,
MR HENDERSON ALSO SAID THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE. THE RESOURCES WHICH IT WAS PROPOSED BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT IN THE CURRENT YEAR SHOULD ENABLE IT TO MAKE SOME INCREASE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTORY INSPECTORATE IN LINE WITH A PROGRAMME OF PHASED EXPANSION TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ITS INCREASED WORKLOAD.
MEANWHILE, RECRUITMENT TO FILL 12 EXISTING VACANCIES WAS IN HAND, HE NOTED.
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