XN000022-1974-10-26 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, OCTODER 26, 1974.

TEACHER TRAINING COURSES REDESIGNED

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS CARRYING OUT ITS PLANS TO REDESIGN AND UP-DATE. TEACHER TRAINING COURSES AT THE THREE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, MR. WILLIAN FISHER-SHORT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (FURTHER), SAID TODAY.

THE COURSES ARE DESIGNED TO MEET THE MAJOR EXPANSION IN SECONDARY EDUCATION DURING THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

KR. FISHER-SHORT SAID IN LINE WITH THE POLICY STATED IN THE WHITE PAPER, BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME COURSES ARE DOING EXPANDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE NOT ONLY THE NUMBERS OF TEACHERS REQUIRED BUT ALSO THE QUALITY DEMANDED.

UNDER THE DEPARTMENT'S PLANS, IN-SERVICE TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED FOR EXISTING TEACHERS WHO MAY BE SERVING IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS WHERE WE INTEND TO BUY A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF PLACES, + HE SAID.

THE FULL TIME COURSES FOR NEW TEACHERS HAVE BEEN PROGRESSIVELY REFINED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WILL INDEED CONTINUE TO BE REFINED AS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS.

MR. FISHER-SHORT EMPHASISED THAT NOT ONLY IS THE DEPARTMENT TRYING TO UP-DATE THE QUALITY IN BOTH THE FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME COURSES, BUT IT IS PROGRESSIVELY RECOGNISING THAT THE TYPES OF COURSE SHOULD BE MORE CLOSELY TAILORED TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STUDENTS.

THE PRESENT PLANNED OUTPUT OF THE THREE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION BY 1975 IS 1,660. BUT THIS OUTPUT CAN BE INCREASED TO 2,040.

FROM 1976 ONWARDS, THIS TOTAL OUTPUT SHOULD BE ADEQUATE TO MEET THE PROJECTED REQUIREMENTS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS UP TO SEPTEMBER, 1979.

AT PRESENT NON-GRADUATES SERVE BOTH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND IN THE LOWER FORMS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WHERE THEY TEACH ALONGSIDE GRADUATE COLLEAGUES.

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IT IS GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO UTILISE MORE TRAINED NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS IN THE PLANNED EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND TO USE THEIR SERVICES UP TO FORM 3.

KR. FISHER-SHORT DISAGREED THAT THE USE OF NON-CRADUATE TEACHERS WILL DILUTE STANDARDS IN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY FORMS AS CLAIMED IN RECENT REPORTS IN CERTAIN NEUSPAPERS.

ON THE CONTRARY, THE NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS CAN BENEFIT THE PUPILS MORE THAN GRADUATE TEACHERS SHOULD THEY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE IN UPPER FORMS OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER UNDERCOING A TWO-KONTH INTENSIVE REFRESHER COURSE SOME HIGHLY SELECTED NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS FROM FRJIMAY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE FULLY COMPETENT TO TEACH IN THE JUNIOR SECONDARY FORLS.

A PERMANENT