XN000022-1973-01-06 — Page 9

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Saturday, Janurary 6, 1973

"Members of the Industrial Training Advisory Committee are fully

appreciative of the work done in the present Morrison Hill Technical Institute

which has close links with industry and commerce, as well as the Apprenticeship

Training Unit of the Labour Department."

Apart from the existing technical institute, two others are to be

established by 1975 at Kwai Chung and Kwun Tong. The provision of further

technical institutes is under active consideration.

On special education, Mr. Canning said that the second five-year

development plan was approved last August.

At present, there are 31 special schools for some 4,000 blind, deaf,

physically handicapped, mentally handicapped and maladjusted children.

"We are planning to provide 14,400 additional Government or aided

places for handicapped children," the Director said.

Commenting on criticism about the Secondary Schools Entrance Exantin-

ation, Mr. Canning said that it was devised to select pupils for entry into

secondary schools.

He said: 12v troch afraid however that in a situation where

there are insufficient places for all pupils to proceed up the educational

ladder, a measure of selectivity has to be imposed.

"Even in the tremendously expanded secondary education system which

is envisaged with some 40 per cent of our primary pupils progressing to five-

year courses and the remaining 60 per cent to three year courses some form of

selection will still be necessary and a public examination held by my department

with advice and help from heads of secondary schools remains the fairest method

of selection.

/"The alternative