XN000022-1976-05-14 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1976

REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION FOR A GRADUAL EXTENSION OF THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE TO COVER TEACHERS, THE SPOKESMAN THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE A STRONG DEMAND FROM TEACHERS TO JOIN THIS, ALTHOUGH THE SCHOOL MEDICAL BOARD HAS NOT, IN THE PAST, WELCOMED SUCH A PROPOSAL, THIS RECOMMENDATION WOULD AGAIN BE REFERRED TO THE BOARD AND TO THE PROPOSED AIDED SCHOOLS' STAFF CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION.

DIS-ESTABLISHMENT OF GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

PERHAPS THE MOST FAR REACHING OF THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, WAS THAT GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE DIS-ESTABLISHED BY REMOVING THEM FROM THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND PLACING THEM UNDER INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES.

THE COMMISSION'S REPORT SAID THAT IN THIS WAY ALL GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS WOULD BE TURNED INTO AIDED AND ASSISTED SCHOOLS WITH FUTURE STAFF FOR THEM BEING RECRUITED OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE ADVANTAGES OF DECENTRALISING CONTROL WOULD BE: TO RELIEVE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE BURDEN OF RUNNING THESE SCHOOLS GRADUALLY TO REDUCE THE ANOMALY WHEREBY A MINORITY OF CERTIFICATED MASTERS DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT ENJOYED TERMS OF SERVICE DIFFERENT FROM THE MAJORITY WHO WORK IN AIDED SCHOOLS TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN RUNNING THEIR SCHOOLS AND THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN- AND TO BRING THE PRINCIPALS AND THE TEACHERS INTO CONTACT WITH A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN EDUCATION.

COMMENTING ON THIS, THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THIS DECENTRALISATION, OR DIS-ESTABLISHMENT AS IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN, IS A MAJOR MATTER WHICH WILL BE REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

IN CONCLUSION, THE SPOKESMAN CONGRATULATED THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE WORK THEY HAD DONE IN COMPILING THE REPORT WHICH WAS A MOST USEFUL DOCUMENT.

THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION INITIALLY COMPRISED MR. T.K. ANN AS CHAIRMAN, THE MOST REVEREND BISHOP FRANCIS HSU AND DR. B.M. KOTEWALL. AFTER THE DEATH OF BISHOP HSU, THE GOVERNOR APPOINTED DR. RAYSON LI-SUNG HUANG AS A MEMBER IN HIS PLACE.

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