XN000022-1974-04-18 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1974

ABOLITION OF S.S.E.E. POSSIBLE IN ORGANISATIONAL TERMS

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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION CEXAMINATIONS), MR. BASIL BOARD TODAY SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE IN ORGANISATIONAL TERMS TO TAKE +A GREAT LEAP FORWARD+ WITHIN A FEW YEARS TO ABOLISH THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION.

+WHETHER, OR WHEN, IT WOULD ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN FINANCIAL TERMS, AND IN PSYCHOLOGICAL TERMS, LEAVE TO YOUR JUDGMENT AND OTHERS,+ MR. BOARD SAID IN HIS TALK ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE SEMINAR ON +EDUCATION WHAT NEXT?+ ORGANISED BY THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COMMITTEE OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE.

POINTING OUT THAT THE ABOLITION OF S.S.E.E. WOULD MEAN ABAND- ONING TRADITIONS DEARLY CHERISHED IN SOME INFLUENTIAL QUARTERS, MR. BOARD SAID: +FOR MY PART I WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME IT, NOT ONLY FOR ITS LIBERATING EFFECT ON THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS, BUT ON WIDER GROUNDS ALSO.+

HE SUGGESTED THAT +IF WE WANT TO ABOLISH S.S.E.E. AND THEREBY IMPROVE OUR PRIMARY SCHOOLING AND MAKE OUR CHILDREN'S EARLY YEARS HAPPIER AND MORE MEANINGFUL,+ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WOULD BE NEEDED:

(A)

(B)

<C>

(D)

SUFFICIENT AND UNIFORM PROVISION WITHIN THE PUBLIC SECTOR FUR ALL WHO WANT IT.

A ZONING SCHEME.

THE ABANDONMENT OF FEEDER-TYPE ARRANGEMENTS, AND

WITHIN EACH ZONE, RANDOM ALLOCATION OF PRIMARY 6 PUPILS TO JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, CARRIED OUT BY COMPUTER IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH SECONDARY SCHOOL RECEIVES A TRUE SAMPLE OF THE POPULATION IN THE ZONE.

DESCRIBING THE S.S.E.E. AS THE EXAMINATION WE ALL ESPECIALLY LOVE TO HATE,+ MR. BOARD SAID IT STARTED AS A SIMPLE EXERCISE, THEN CALLED THE JOINT PRIMARY 6 EXAMINATION, WITHIN THE COMPARAT1- VELY SMALL SECTOR OF EDUCATION DIRECTLY OPERATED BY THE EDUCA- TION DEPARTMENT, TO ASSIST ORDERLY SELECTION AND PROGRESSION FROM PRIMARY 6 TO FORM 1 AND MIDDLE I.

+IT HAS GROWN TO ITS PRESENT SIZE AND ELABORATION PARTLY BECAUSE OF SPONTANEOUS DEMAND FROM NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE, AND PARTLY BECAUSE THE VERY SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC OF SECONDARY EDUCATION REQUIRES SOME PUBLIC CONTROL OVER THE SELECTION AND ALLOCATION PROCESS.

SUBSIDY

+EVEN IN RETROSPECT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THINGS COULD HAVE EVOLVED OTHERWISE, NO MATTER HOW CLEARLY CERTAIN REGRETTABLE CONSEQUENCES MIGHT HAVE BEEN FORESEEN AT THE TIME. IT WOULD OF COURSE HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, AT LEAST, IN PRINCIPLE, TO DEVISE A LESS RESTRICTED EXAMINATION,+ MR. BOARD SAID.

/AIRING A