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FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1992
EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE SMI, MR CHAN SAID IT WAS IN ESSENCE A CO-ORDINATED SET OF PROPOSALS FOR ENABLING SCHOOLS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR SERVICES WHICH WERE BEST MADE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
HE SAID SMI ALSO TOUCHED ON A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM CONNECTED WITH THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK OF CONTROLS UNDER THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE AND THE CODES OF AID WHICH WERE BASED ON A "POLICING" PHILOSOPHY.
THE LEGISLATION CONTAINS A LARGE NUMBER OF PENALTIES AIMED AT THE CONTROL OF "WRONGDOING" IN SCHOOLS WHILE THE CODES CONTAIN A LOT OF DETAIL AIMED AT CONTROLLING COST.
BUT THERE IS LITTLE IN THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK ABOUT ENCOURAGING EFFECTIVENESS.
"IN DEVOLVING MORE POWER TO SCHOOLS TO RUN THEMSELVES MORE EFFICIENTLY, THEREFORE, SMI SEEKS TO CHANGE THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATION AUTHORITIES FROM ONE OF CONTROL, TO ONE OF SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SCHOOLS, PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK WHERE EACH SCHOOL HAS MORE FLEXIBILITY AND ROOM FOR INITIATIVE BETTER TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF ITS STUDENTS, MR CHAN SAID.
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"IN LINE WITH THIS NEW APPROACH, WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE EDUCATION ORDINANCE AND THE CODES OF AID.
BUT MR CHAN WAS QUICK TO DISMISS THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND MISREPRESENTATION OF SOME COMMENTATORS THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMI WAS AN ATTEMPT BY THE GOVERNMENT ΤΟ WASH ITS HANDS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EDUCATION.
NOR DID HE AGREE THAT IT IS SIMPLY A TRICK TO REDUCE THE FUNDING OF SCHOOLS AND A DEVICE TO FORCE SCHOOLS INTO A STRAITJACKET OF CONTROLS.
THESE WHICH
HE EXPLAINED: "THE PRESENT EMPHASIS IN THE ARRANGEMENTS WITH SCHOOLS, AS I HAVE ALREADY SAID IS ON OVER-DETAILED CONTROLS, DO LITTLE TO ENCOURAGE, AND MAY INDEED HAMPER, GOOD MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY SERVICE.
"THE AIM OF SMI IS TO CHANGE THE EMPHASIS, TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK WHERE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CLEARLY DEFINED; WHERE MORE DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY IS DEVOLVED TO SCHOOLS; AND WHERE THOSE WHO USE THE SERVICES OF THE SCHOOL CAN BE INFORMED OF ITS ACHIEVEMENTS.
"THE GOVERNMENT WILL RETAIN, UNDER THIS NEW FRAMEWORK, ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EDUCATION SERVICE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BACK SCHOOLS UP WITH FUNDING, CENTRAL SUPPORT SERVICES, ADVICE, AND WHERE NECESSARY CONTROLS.
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AS REGARDS FUNDING, MR CHAN NOTED THAT A SCHOOL JOINING THE SMI WOULD RECEIVE THE SAME FUNDING AS A COMPARABLE SCHOOL NOT IN THE SMI.
THE DIFFERENCE LIES IN THE FLEXIBILITY THE SMI ENJOY IN THE USE OF ITS BLOCK GRANT FOR ITEMS OTHER SALARIES.
SCHOOL WILL THAN TEACHER
"THIS FLEXIBILITY,