XN000022-1976-07-06 — Page 4

TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1976

OF NECESSITY, ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE, BUT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION BELIEVES THAT THE CHANGES ENVISAGED, TOGETHER WITH THE EXTENSION OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY BY WHICH ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVERS ARE ASSURED OF ENTRY INTO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER 1978, THE SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME AND THE ENRICHING OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION BY CURRICULUM REFORM AND THE INTRODUCTION OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS THIS YEAR, REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS WHICH MUST BE WELCOMED.

THE WORKING PARTY ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE S.S.E.E. WAS APPOINTED BY THE DIRECTOR IN 1975 AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED AND WIDELY DISCUSSED.

HEADS OF SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, EDUCATIONAL BODIES AND COUNCILS WERE INVITED TO COMMENT, AND THESE COMMENTS, WITH THOSE OF THE INTERESTED PUBLIC, WERE CAREFULLY EVALUATED BEFORE ARRIVING AT FIRM PROPOSALS WHICH WERE THEN REFERRED BY THE DIRECTOR TO SCHOOL COUNCILS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS.

+THE RESULT HAS BEEN A CAREFUL DECISION BASED ON EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL AND PRACTICAL GROUNDS, MR. TOPLEY SAID.

THE DIRECTOR EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO MEMBERS OF THE WORKING PARTY FOR THEIR VALUABLE REPORT WITHOUT WHICH HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ARRIVE AT A DECISION.

HE ALSO WISHED TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO HAD COMMENTED ON THE WORKING PARTY'S REPORT FOR THEIR VIEWS WHICH HAD PERMITTED HIM TO MAKE PROPOSALS ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.