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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987
A LOWER STANDARD OF ENGLISH MIGHT HAVE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POLICIES OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS.
+THEY MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER STRENGTHENING THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH GENERALLY OR INTRODUCING COURSE-RELATED REMEDIAL ENGLISH CLASSES TO UPGRADE STUDENTS' ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TO ENABLE THEM TO BENEFIT FROM THEIR COURSES, HE SUGGESTED.
REPORT NO. 2 FAILS TO PROVIDE PRACTICABLE SOLUTIONS
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THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2 HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE PRACTICABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OF THE PRESENT SIXTH FORM EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, THE HON SZETO WAH TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORT, MR SZETO SAID THE PROBLEMS WERE ENORMOUS EXAMINATION PRESSURE ON STUDENTS, DIFFERENCES IN ADMISSION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA OF POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS, AND INCOMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM WHICH WAS DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PREPARING STUDENTS TO TAKE UP UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.
HE SAID THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE HIGHER LEVEL EXAMINATION WITH AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL EXAMINATION WOULD FURTHER INCREASE EXAMINATION PRESSURE ON STUDENTS, AS MORE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PART IN THE I-LEVEL EXAMINATION THAN IN THE A-LEVEL EXAMINATION.
MR SZETO RECOMMENDED TO AUTHORITIES TO SHELVE THE PROPOSAL AND UNDERTAKE A FURTHER GENUINE OVERALL REVIEW OF HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO ITS STRUCTURAL ASPECT.
IN THE OVERALL REVIEW, A CENTRALISED ADMISSION SYSTEM PROVIDING FOR +CONCURRENT DECISIONS+ BY THE POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE FORMULATED, HE SAID.
+THE EXISTENCE OF SEPARATE SYSTEMS IN THE UNIVERSITIES, ON WHICH DISCUSSION APPEARS TO BE FORBIDDEN, SEEMS NOT ONLY TO EXERT AN INVISIBLE INFLUENCE ON SIXTH FORM, SECONDARY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION, BUT ALSO IMPOSED SEVERE RESTRICTIONS ON AN OVERALL REVIEW OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL REFORMS, + MR SZETO SAID.
FOLLOWING A