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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1988
MR BRIDGE NOTED THAT AS
POINTED
OUT BY A MEMBER, THE
UNIVERSITIES' PRESENT PROBLEMS WERE PARTLY OF THEIR OWN MAKING.
"THEIR ADMISSION POLICIES HAVE ALWAYS FAVOURED THOSE STUDENTS WHO DID WELL IN A NARROW RANGE OF SUBJECTS. THERE HAS THUS BEEN NO INCENTIVE FOR STUDENTS TO STUDY MORE BROADLY OR TO IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS.
"IF THE UNIVERSITIES WERE TO REQUIRE A WIDER RANGE OF SUBJECT AND HIGHER LANGUAGE SKILLS, I AM SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS WOULD RESPOND, HE SAID.
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TURNING TO THE FUTURE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS, MR BRIDGE SAID THAT A STRONG PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR OPERATING ALONGSIDE SECTOR COULD PROVIDE CHOICE, VARIETY AND SPECIALISATION, CATER TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS.
THE PUBLIC AND COULD
IT WAS HOPED THAT A DIRECT SUBSIDY SCHEME (DSS) PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION WOULD MAKE THESE ADVANTAGES AVAILABLE, HE SAID.
"TO ENTER THE DSS, SCHOOLS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO REACH STANDARDS OF AIDED SCHOOLS.
"PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE BOUGHT PLACE SCHEME WOULD BE HELPED MEET THESE STANDARDS THROUGH A SYSTEM OF FIXED CONTRACTS OVER NEXT DECADE.
THE
то
THE
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'AIDED AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS WOULD ALSO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO JOIN THE SCHEME.
"A NEW PRIVATE SCHOOLS REVIEW COMMITTEE WOULD ADVISE ON ADMISSION TO THE DSS AND ON MAINTAINING STANDARDS, HE ADDED.
STATING THAT THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS IN THE NEW SCHEME WERE NOT UNDER-ESTIMATED, MR BRIDGE SAID THAT THEY WERE BEING GIVEN URGENT CONSIDERATION BY A WORKING GROUP WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION.
MR BRIDGE GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT NO FORMAL COMMITTEE WOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO IMPLEMENT THE DSS UNLESS AND UNTIL IT WAS APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
ON A CONCERN THAT THE MOST POPULAR AIDED SCHOOLS WOULD CHOOSE TO JOIN THE NEW SCHEME AND TO CHARGE FEES BEYOND THE MEANS OF POORER FAMILIES, MR BRIDGE SAID THIS CONCERN MIGHT BE UNFOUNDED.
NOTING THAT A FEW SCHOOLS MIGHT DECIDE TO CHARGE HIGH FEES IN EXCHANGE FOR A VERY HIGH STANDARD OF PROVISION, HE SAID THAT EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE SUGGESTED THAT THE OLDER, BETTER ESTABLISHED SCHOOLS WERE LIKELY TO CONTINUE CHARGING LOW FEES.
"INDEED MANY OF THEM ARE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS AND FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP THEIR FEES LOW SO AS TO GO ON CHILDREN OF ALL BACKGROUNDS.
++
MAY
WELL
ATTRACTING
/REGARDING A ...............**