XN000022-1975-05-21 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1975

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO HELP

REDUNDANT TEACHERS FIND ALTERNATIVE POSTS

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THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (PRIMARY), MR. LAM TAT- LAU IS CONFIDENT THAT THE PLACEMENT SERVICE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP ALL REDUNDANT TEACHERS IN AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO FIND

ALTERNATIVE POSTS IN OTHER AIDED PRIMARIES WHERE THERE ARE VACANCIES.

MR. LAM MADE THIS STATEMENT AT AN INFORMAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING THIS MORNING WITH SEVEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS' UNION.

THE MEETING, WHICH LASTED THREE HOURS IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S CONFERENCE ROOM, WAS HELD IN A CORDIAL ATMOSPHERE.

AMONG THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S FOUR REPRESENTATIVES WAS MR. DAVID LEUNG, SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER WHO WILL HEAD THE PLACEMENT SERVICE WHICH WILL BEGIN OPERATIONS ON JUNE 2. TEACHERS WHO NEED HELP CAN REGISTER WITH THE SERVICE FROM JUNE 16.

ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY THAT THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY CLASSES

TO BE REDUCED MAY EXCEED THE 237 FIGURE ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY, MR. LAM IS NEVERTHELESS CONFIDENT THAT THE SERVICE WILL DE ABLE TO HELP ALL THE REDUNDANT TEACHERS TO FIND EMPLOYMENT.

MR. LAM TOLD THE UNION REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WELCOMED THE SUGGESTION OF CO-OPERATION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE UNION AND THE PLACEMENT SERVICE.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNION, MR. SZETO WAH SAID THAT HIS UNION WOULD GIVE THE PLACEMENT SERVICE ITS FULL SUPPORT.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE UNION FOR THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF NEW CLASSES TO BE OPENED, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SAID THAT SINCE MOST SCHOOL PREMISES IN NEW ESTATES HAVE NOT YET BEEN HANDED OVER TO SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THE MOMENT TO GIVE AN EXACT FIGURE. MR. LAM SAID THAT IN JULY OR AUGUST HE WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF NEW CLASSES IN NEW ESTATES WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY MATCH THE NUMBER OF CLASSES THAT WOULD CLOSE IN THE URBAN AREAS.

THE UNION AGREED IN GENERAL TERMS WITH THE LAST IN, FIRST OUT+ PRINCIPLE IN DETERMINING WHICH TEACHER WILL LEAVE AND WHICH WILL REMAIN.

ANSWERING A QUESTION AT AN INFORMAL JOINT PRESS BRIEFING AFTERWARDS, MR. LAM EXPLAINED THAT THIS PRINCIPLE WILL BE ADHERED TO AS IT IS A PRINCIPLE RECOGNISED INTERNATIONALLY. DUT IF THE +LAST IN+ TEACHER HAPPENS TO BE THE HEADMASTER OR SENIOR TEACHER OF THE SCHOOL, THEN THE +SECOND LAST IN+ TEACHER WILL BECOME REDUNDANT.

MR. SZETO EXPRESSED THE WISH TO CONTINUE CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM OF REDUNDANT TEACHERS IN FUTURE YEARS.

MR. LAM SAID THE DEPARTMENT WOULD MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE UNION TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN.

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