XN000022-1974-11-13 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974.

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HE SAID UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD MADE MANY USEFUL POINTS - CUMULATIVE RECORDS ATTAINMENT, APTITUDE AND ABILITY TESTS- TEACHERS' ASSESSMENTS ASSESSMENTS OF THE PRACTICAL WORK DONE BY PUPILS AS IS DONE IN THE CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY. EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

+ALL THESE ARE VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS, BUT AS MATTERS STAND A PUBLIC EXAMINATION MUST BE AN ELEMENT, POSSIBLY A MAJOR ELEMENT IN THE SELECTION PROCEDURE IF THIS PROCESS IS TO BE ORDERLY AND ABOVE ALL SEEN TO BE FAIR,+ HE STRESSED.

THE DIRECTOR GAVE AN ASSURANCE TO THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS THAT BEFORE +WE IMPLEMENT A NEW SYSTEM OF PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS MUCH DELIBERATIONS AND CONSULTATION WILL TAKE PLACE.

+THE IDEAS OF EDUCATORS, OF LAYMEN INTERESTED IN EDUCATION, AND GRASS ROOTS PUBLIC OPINION. WILL ALL BE THOROUGHLY SOUNDED AND CONSIDERED,+ HE SAID.

INTAKE TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS

WITH THE ABOLITION OF THE S.S.E.E. IN 1979 OTHER ARRANGEMENTS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE TO SELECT AND ALLOCATE.

THE PRELIMINARY VIEW OF THE DIRECTOR IS THAT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST BE LINKED TOGETHER, PROBABLY ON A ZONAL BASIS AND THAT EACH ZONE SHOULD HAVE ITS ALLOCATING TEAM OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDING OFFICERS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

+I ENTIRELY AGREE THAT WE MUST FIRMLY ENCOURAGE SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO ACCEPT PUPILS OF ALL LEVELS OF ABILITY. IF CERTAIN SCHOOLS INSIST ON TAKING ONLY THE BETTER QUALITY PUPILS, OTHER SCHOOLS WILL JUSTIFIABLY WANT TO DO THE SAME AND A BASIC AIM OF THE WHITE PAPER WILL BE FRUSTRATED.+

A WORKING GROUP IS BEING SET UP TO RECOMMEND A SELECTION AND ALLOCATION SYSTEM THAT IS SEEN TO BE FAIR.

MR. TOPLEY SAID: THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE TO BE ASSURED THAT MALPRACTICE OR FAVOURITISM CAN PLAY NO PART IN THESE PROCEDURES.+

PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

THE DIRECTOR CLARIFIED SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TO PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.

HE SAID: THE CHANGE IN EMPHASIS FROM THAT OF THE GREEN PAPER TO THAT OF THE WHITE PAPER DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS LOST FAITH IN THE PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS, THAT PREVOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND THE SPONSORS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THE IDEA OF THE PREVOCATIONAL HAVE IN SOME WAY LOST THE SEAL OF THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROVAL ON THEIR WORK. WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING THE TENOR OF ADVICE GIVEN FEELS THAT THE EMPHASIS SHOULD LIE IN A NINE-YEAR GENERAL COURSE FOR OUR CHILDREN, THAT IT IS TOO EARLY TO DIVIDE CHILDREN INTO DISPARATE EDUCATIONAL CATEGORIES AT THE PRIMARY 6 LEVEL AND THAT THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX DEMANDS TECHNICAL, COMMERCIAL OR PROFESSIONAL, OF THE EIGHTIES WILL DEMAND 4 NINE-YEAR BASIC COURSE OF GENERAL EDUCATION WHICH INCLUDES A SUBSTANTIAL TECHNICAL/PRACTICAL ELEMENT.+

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