WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1988
22
OTHER DIFFICULTIES INCLUDED REWRITING THE
ENTIRE SECONDARY
SCHOOL CURRICULUM, REDESIGNING A PUBLIC EXAMINATION WHICH WOULD WIN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION, AND THE PAINSTAKING READJUSTMENT OF HALF A MILLION STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS, LET ALONE THAT OF TEACHERS.
MR CHEUNG ARGUED THAT IF ALL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WENT TO FOUR YEARS, NOT ONLY WOULD THE NUMBER OF DEGREE PLACES IN THE TWO POLYTECHNICS HAVE TO BE REDUCED BUT SO WOULD THE NUMBER OF NON-DEGREE PLACES.
"OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
WILL
BE FURTHER DEPRIVED OF THE
OPPORTUNITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, HE SAID.
MR CHEUNG DID NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO ALLOW AIDED SCHOOLS TO JOIN THE DIRECT SUBSIDY SCHEME BECAUSE HE SAW NO MERITS IN A PUBLIC-YET-PRIVATE AND PRIVATE-YET-PUBLIC CATEGORY OF SCHOOLS.
IT WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR SOME SCHOOLS TO DRAW GOVERNMENT MONEY AND YET BECOME INDEPENDENT IN STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND IN CHARGING THEIR OWN LEVEL OF FEES, HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF HELPING THE ELIGIBLE PRIVATE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, MR CHEUNG SAID HE THOUGHT GOVERNMENT HAD THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO IN VIEW OF THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS THE SCHOOLS HAD MADE TO EDUCATION.
BUT HE CONSIDERED A TARGET DATE SHOULD BE SET WHEN THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AFTER HAVING IMPROVED THEIR STANDARDS WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT, WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE EITHER PUBLIC SECTOR OR TO BECOME STRICTLY PRIVATE.
ΤΟ JOIN THE
RECOMMENDATIONS IN REPORT SUPPORTED
THE BOUGHT PLACE SCHEME SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE DIRECT SUBSIDY SCHEME AND THERE SHOULD BE NO FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES ΤΟ THE EXISTING 5-2-3 SYSTEM, THE HON LAU WAH-SUM SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE EDUCATION
RECOMMEND ANY
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN COMMISSION REPORT NO. 3, MR LAU SAID HE WOULD NOT CHANGE TO THE EXISTING EDUCATION SYSTEM UNLESS IT COULD BE JUSTIFIED BY VERY REAL BENEFITS IN THE LONG TERM.
THIS WAS BECAUSE ANY CHANGE IN OR ESTABLISHED SYSTEM WOULD CERTAINLY RESULT IN LOSSES IN EFFICIENCY, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE, AS ITSELF TO THE NEW SYSTEM.
DISRUPTION TO A WELL. ADDITIONAL COSTS AND THE SOCIETY ADJUSTED
/MR LAU