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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986
+ I DO, NEVERTHELESS, AGREE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MACHINERY FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT AND IMPENDING CHANGES TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. THIS IS A SUBJECT WHICH THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WILL BE CONSIDERING IN THE COURSE OF NEXT YEAR.+
ON PROBLEMS CONCERNING DISCIPLINE, MR BRIDGE SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ADVOCATED A POSITIVE APPROACH, INVOLVING COUNSELLING AND GUIDANCE. THE QUESTION OF CURRICULUM AND BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS WOULD BE STUDIED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION IN THE NEXT PHASE OF ITS WORK, HE ADDED.
REFERRING TO THE SHORTAGE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES IN SOME NEW TOWNS, MR BRIDGE SAID: +IN PLANNING THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME, WE HAVE TO LOOK MANY YEARS AHEAD AND IT HAS PROVED EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE THE POPULATION AND AGE STRUCTURE ACCURATELY SO FAR IN ADVANCE.
+NEVERTHELESS, MUCH WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THIS BY THE WORKING GROUP ON POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND A COMPUTER MODEL HAS NOW BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH WHICH SHOULD BE A GREAT HELP TO US IN PLANNING THE LOCATION OF NEW SCHOOLS AND OF SCHOOLS REPROVISIONED FROM AREAS OF SURPLUS SUPPLY.+
MR BRIDGE ALSO SAID THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE
TO RESEARCH AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
FOR THE CURRENT TRIENNIUM, FUNDS TOTALLING SOME $45 MILLION WERE SPECIFICALLY RESERVED FOR RESEARCH IN THE FIVE SUCH
INSTITUTIONS.
MR BRIDGE CONFIRMED THAT THE ASSESSMENT OF COURSES AT LINGNAN COLLEGE AND SHUE YAN COLLEGE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE REMIT OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS AS A LONGER TERM OBJECTIVE, THOUGH THE IMMEDIATE TASK OF THE PROPOSED COUNCIL MUST BE THE VALIDATION OF DEGREE PROGRAMME PROPOSALS FROM THE TWO POLYTECHNICS AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE.
MR BRIDGE NOTED THAT THE PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR ACADEMIC AWARDS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED.
+ITS REMIT IS TO CONSIDER IN DETAIL HOW FULL LOCAL VALIDATION OF DEGREES AWARDED BY NON-UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG MIGHT BEST BE ARRANGED AND MANAGED, HE SAID.
+ THE FIRST FULL MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF DECEMBER AND IT IS EXPECTED TO PUT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT BY END OF JUNE NEXT YEAR.
ON THE THIRD UNIVERSITY, MR BRIDGE SAID PLANNING FOR THIS WOULD NOT AFFECT THE ! EXISTING TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, FOR WHICH SUBSTANTIAL EXPANSION IN THE NEXT DECADE HAD BEEN PLANNED.
BY THE MID-1990'S, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PLACES THE INSTITUTIONS PROVIDED WOULD INCREASE FROM THE PRESENT 34 000 TO AROUND 50 000,
MR BRIDGE THANKED MEMBERS FOR THEIR HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS AND SAID THAT THESE WOULD BE STUDIED BY GOVERNMENT VERY CAREFULLY.
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