WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987
29
TACKLE TERTIARY COURSE DURATION ISSUE FIRST
*****
THE EDUCATION COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE TACKLED DIRECTLY AND URGENTLY THE QUESTION OF DURATION OF TERTIARY COURSES, WHICH IS SO CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH SIXTH FORM EDUCATION, THE HÔN CHENG HON-KWAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE SECOND ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2, MR CHENG NOTED THAT THE COMMISSION HAD WITHHELD ALL OPINION ON THE APPROPRIATE LENGTH OF TERTIARY COURSES, WHICH IT SAID WAS A SEPARATE ISSUE+.
+I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN GET SIXTH FORM EDUCATION INTO TRUE FOCUS UNTIL THE QUESTION OF THE DURATION OF TERTIARY COURSES AND A UNIFIED LEVEL OF ENTRY IS RESOLVED, HE SAID.
HE THEREFORE STRESSED THAT ONE OF THE FIRST IMPORTANT TASKS FOR THE COMMISSION WAS TO CONSIDER AND WORK TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR A UNIFIED LEVEL OF ENTRY TO TERTIARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG.
MR CHENG EXPRESSED DOUBTS ABOUT THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION THAT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL EXAMINATION SHOULD BE CARVED OUT OF ADVANCED LEVELS TO REPLACE THE HIGHER LEVEL EXAMINATION.
HE FELT THAT THIS MIGHT IMPAIR THE QUALITY OF THE CURRICULUM WITHOUT EASING EXAMINATION PRESSURE ON STUDENTS.
MR CHENG AGREED THAT A CENTRALISED SYSTEM OF ADMISSIONS TO TERTIARY EDUCATION, AS SUGGESTED BY THE COMMISSION, WAS A DESIRABLE OBJECTIVE, SO LONG AS IT WAS BASED ON A GENUINELY UNIFIED LEVEL OF ENTRY.
HE WELCOMED PROPOSALS FOR REINFORCING LANGUAGE TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WITH PARTICULAR REGARD TO THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE LANGUAGE STUDIES CURRICULUM FOR THE SIXTH FORM.
+HONG KONG'S FUTURE AS AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY WILL DEPEND IN NO SMALL MEASURE ON THE EFFORTS THAT WE NOW MAKE TO THIS END, HE NOTED.
MR CHENG ALSO AGREED THAT SIXTH FORM SCHOOLING SHOULD BE SHAPED SO AS TO BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD GO ON TO TERTIARY COURSES.
HE HOPED THAT THE COMMISSION'S OBJECTIVES OF ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF BALANCED, WILL-INFORMED INDIVIDUALS AND PREPARING STUDENTS FOR ADULT LIFE WOULD THEN BE ACHIEVED.
LASTLY, HE URGED THAT THE OPPORTUNITY BE GRASPED TO TAKE A BOLD AND POSITIVE COURSE TO PUT SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION UNDER ONE SINGLE COMPREHENSIVE APPRAISAL.
/30