WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1993
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COURSES AND FACILITIES IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
UNDER REGULAR REVIEW
THERE IS NO PLAN FOR AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE COURSES AND FACILITIES IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TIK CHI-YUEN, MR LEUNG SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD SINCE 1986 REVISED THE SYLLABUSES OF SEVEN PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS AND DEVELOPED FOUR NEW SUBJECT SYLLABUSES IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.
THREE SUBJECT SYLLABUSES ARE BEING REVIEWED AT PRESENT.
IN ADDITION, THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, FOLLOWING A REVIEW IN 1991/92, PRODUCED DRAFT GUIDELINES ON THE CURRICULAR FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCHOOLS, INCLUDING PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION.
HOWEVER, NO SUGGESTIONS WERE RECEIVED FOR CHANGING THE EXISTING PROPORTION OF PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CONTENT IN THE CURRICULUM OFFERED BY PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.
OF
THE SECRETARY ALSO SAID PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WERE PROVIDED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIAL ROOMS AND WORKSHOPS TO MEET THE NEEDS THEIR PRACTICE-ORIENTED CURRICULUM.
AS STUDENTS IN THESE SCHOOLS SPENT MUCH OF THE SCHOOL DAY IN SPECIAL ROOMS/WORKSHOPS, THE OPERATION OF FLOATING CLASSES THEREFORE MADE EFFICIENT USE OF SCHOOL SPACE WITH NO LOSS OF EDUCATIONAL
EFFECTIVENESS.
SUBJECT TO RESOURCES BEING AVAILABLE, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD EMBARK ON THE FIRST PHASE OF A PROGRAMME ΤΟ UPGRADE THE FACILITIES IN 12 PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN 1994/95 ΤΟ THE LATEST STANDARD OF PROVISION.
MR TIK ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE REASON FOR MAINTAINING THE RATIO OF GRADUATE TEACHERS TO NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS AT 1:1 FOR PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.
IN
IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY EXPLAINED THAT THE RATIO WAS PROPOSED JUNE 1987 BY THE WORKING PARTY ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS COUNCIL AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
"THE CALCULATION WAS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PERIODS IN THE TIMETABLE ALLOCATED TO SUBJECTS TAUGHT BY NON-GRADUATE TECHNICAL TEACHERS, MR LEUNG SAID.
I
BY ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND
"THE PROPOSAL WAS SUPPORTED SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
**THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS NOW REVIEWING THE STRUCTURE IN PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN THE LIGHT OF THE SENIOR SECONDARY AND SIXTH FORM PLACES IN THESE SCHOOLS,
STAFFING
EXPANSION OF
HE ADDED.
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