WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987
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+PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATION IN REPORT NO. 2 FOR A CONSULTANT TO ADVISE ON THE CREATION OF COMPUTER MODELS FOR EDUCATIONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING, HE SAID.
AS REGARDS MEMBERS' DISSATISFACTION WITH THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION FUNDS IN THE BUDGET, MR BRIDGE POINTED OUT THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURE AMOUNTED TO NEARLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE WOULD ALSO ARISE OVER THE COMING YEARS WHEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THE EDUCATION COMMISSION REPORT NO. 2 WERE IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.
AS TO THE COMMENTS THAT RESULTS OF THE PRESENT EDUCATION SYSTEM WERE UNCERTAIN, MR BRIDGE SAID THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WOULD INCLUDE A STUDY OF CURRICULA AND BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND JUNIOR SECONDARY CLASSES IN ITS REPORT NO. 4. TO BE PUBLISHED IN 1988.
REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF A MORE BROADLY BASED REVIEW, MR BRIDGE NOTED IT WAS ONLY FIVE-AND-A-HALF YEARS SINCE THE LLEWELYN REPORT WAS PUBLISHED AND SINCE THEN TWO REPORTS BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.
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+AFTER THIS PROLONGED PERIOD OF REPORTS AND DISCUSSION, TO BEGIN YET ANOTHER OVERALL REVIEW COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED AT THE PRICE OF SERIOUS AND CONTINUED DISRUPTION TO OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM,+ HE SAID.
MR BRIDGE SAID THE DECISION TO SET UP A TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS OF NURSERIES AND KINDERGARTENS WAS STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE LIGHT OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION.
A PROGRAMME OF FEE INCREASES AT THE SENIOR SECONDARY AND SIXTH-FORM LEVEL WAS APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL LAST YEAR TO RESTORE OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD THE REAL VALUE OF FEES ORIGINALLY SET IN 1978, HE ADDED.
A WORKING PARTY WAS NOW CONSIDERING THE PRINCIPLES IN THE FUTURE ON WHAT AMOUNTED TO A FAIR AND REASONABLE SHARE OF THE COST OF SENIOR SECONDARY, SIXTH-FORM AND TERTIARY COURSES.
ON THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE FIVE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, MR BRIDGE SAID ABOUT $45 MILLION HAD BEEN SET ASIDE IN THE CURRENT TRIENNIUM AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THIS AMOUNT WOULD BE EARMARKED IN THE GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 1988-91 TRIENNIUM.
TURNING TO LABOUR MATTERS, MR BRIDGE SAID HE FEARED THAT A PUBLIC CONSENSUS ON A PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN.
/+THERE SEEMS